


You Ask, I Write - K-Pop Drabbles

by vixxtimized



Category: ASTRO (Band), B.A.P, BTOB, Monsta X (Band), NCT (Band), Pentagon (Korea Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), SHINee, Stray Kids (Band), VIXX, bts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Apples, Arson, Bullying, Crack fics, Demons, Drabble, Drabbles, Elevators, Friends to Lovers, K-Pop - Freeform, M/M, Mermen, Modeling, Motorcycles, Multiple Personalities, One-Shots, Photography, Pirates and Mermaids, Requests, Stars, Vampires, Voice, Zombies, crack aus, deadman wonderland - Freeform, exterminators, gay boysssss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-05-28 05:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 44,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15041972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixxtimized/pseuds/vixxtimized
Summary: A collection of one-shots I have written for people who request them! First chapter will be the rules for requesting!All one-shots/drabbles are MxM.****CLOSED**** FOREVER





	1. How to Request

**Hi everyone! If you didn't notice already, this book is now closed! I will be writing and publishing the last couple requests in the next month!**

**Please be considerate of this and don't request anymore!**

**At some point I may reopen it, but right now I am focusing on my chaptered fics. Thank you for understanding :)**

Here's how this will work! You can request a one-shot of any of the groups listed below. You do not HAVE to have a particular storyline in mind but it does help me sometimes with finishing faster!

Drop a comment! 

The first 18 chapters of this are one-shots I have written for my wattpad readers and some were completed a LONG time ago, so bear with the cringe of the first few oof. 

Anyways, here you are. 

The criteria:

\- the ship you'd like   
\- the storyline or au  
\- side pairings if you'd like.   
\- any other details you'd like me to include

NEW CRITERIA:  **If you ask for something I am not comfortable writing, please be considerate of me and don't push it, thank you~**

Please note that I stan some groups harder than I stan others.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

VIXX/

BTS/

KNK/

GOT7/

B.A.P/

SHINee/

MONSTA X/

SEVENTEEN/

Boys Republic/

BTOB/

Astro/

DAY6/

EXO/

UP10TION/

B1A4/

PENTAGON/

STRAY KIDS/

INFINITE/

iKon/

NCT/

VICTON/

HALO/ 

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Thanks for any requests or reads! Love you all <33

☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆

UPDATE: EXO is now included! （＾∇＾）

UPDATE, 7/12/17 : KNK and NCT 127 now included!

UPDATE, 9/13/17 : Pentagon now included (stan my baby boys pls)

UPDATE, 1/29/18 : Stray Kids and Infinite now included!

UPDATE 3/5/18 : iKon now included! ALL NCT units included!

UPDATE 6/8/18 : Halo and Victon now included!

☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆


	2. Cookies? (TaeKook)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boy stumbles into Taehyung's bakery one evening lookinf for some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> requested by wattpad user @/nashi_kawaii_chan

_R-ring._

Taehyung looked up from the front counter as he heard the bell jingle.

"Welcome to Tae's Bakery, how may I help you?" Taehyung asked his customer with a bright smile. The customer was a petite yet strong looking boy with dark brown hair. He looked down at his fingers, as if he was too shy to even say anything to Taehyung.

"Umm...do you have any fresh chocolate chip cookies?" He murmured quietly. "Of course. How many would you like?" The petite boy gave a small smile and said, "A dozen, please."

Taehyung smirked as he turned around to fetch a batch of cookies. Taehyung thought the boy was cute, and his smile made him look like a little bunny. All Taehyung wanted to do right now was feed the boy the cookies he was currently boxing up.

Taehyung walked back to the front and handed the boy the box. "Would you like me to write a note on the box for anyone?" Taehyung asked, going through the motions of ringing the boy's food up. "Yes uh...can you write 'To Mom, Love Jungkookie'?" Taehyung nodded, and put a purple sharpie to the box. He wrote the message in large, beautiful cursive.

He smiled, took the boy's money, and bid him goodbye. Taehyung was glad the boy wanted a message.

Because now he knew the bunny-like boy's name.

Jungkook.

\- - -

The next few days were rather uneventful, and Taehyung went to work and back home everyday without much trouble.

Taehyung hadn't seen Jungkook around town since that time he was in his bakery. Taehyung was slightly disappointed that he didn't get to talk to the cute boy again, but he decided it was just a coincidental and solitary moment in both of their lives.

It was already December, and Taehyung was walking home after work. A harsh wind blew Taehyung's coat open, so he grabbed the edges and wrapped it around himself tighter.

In his periphery, Taehyung thought he saw a shadow on the sidewalk. He turned his head to the side, still walking, and tried to catch a glimpse of whatever made the shadow. But there was nothing.

Taehyung continued to walk, this time a little more briskly. He was frozen to the spot when he heard a scream.

He whipped around and scanned the street with his eyes. He heard the cry again, this time quieter. But he could still pinpoint the location it had sounded from. Taehyung dashed over to behind a large car, only to find three dark-clothed figures punching a petite boy.

Taehyung's eyes widened in recognition, and he quickly raised a fist.

The first punch connected with the first man's nose, and Taehyung heard a sharp cracking sound from beneath his knuckles. He continued to throw punches, with some kicks to the groins mixed in as well. Soon enough, all three men were on the ground, - possibly beaten half to death - not that Taehyung cared.

He looked down at the only person he cared about at the moment.

He grabbed Jungkook's arm and pulled him into a standing position.

Taehyung draped Jungkook's thin arm around his shoulder, and trudged home in the snow.

\- - -

Jungkook was sleeping peacefully in Taehyung's bed.  Taehyung had dragged the boy with him, and he had fallen unconscious as they were walking. 

So Taehyung had gently laid him down and patched up his cuts and bruises.

Now Taehyung sat watching the boy sleep, his chest fluttering up and down as he breathed in and out.

Taehyung smiled a little. This boy sure was adorable.

Taehyung himself was just about to drift off when he heard Jungkook stirring in his bed.

Taehyung sat down on the bed. "Hey, Jungkook are you feeling alright?" Taehyung asked quietly. A small scream escaped the younger's mouth and he fell off the bed, entangled in the sheets.

Taehyung got up, alarmed. "Jungkook?" He ran over to the side that Jungkook had fallen off of.

"Where am I?" Jungkook asked, a bewildered look on his face. Taehyung giggled, it was cute. "You were getting beaten up by some thugs, so I rescued you and brought you to my house to rest," Taehyung explained.

"Oh." Jungkook shook his head, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Thanks," he said, smiling up at Taehyung.

"Would you like anything to eat?" Taehyung asked happily, a boxy grin on his face.

Jungkook smiled again, showing his bunny teeth. "Sure. I'm starving," he said. Taehyung helped him up, and led Jungkook into the dainty little kitchen of his house.

It reminded Jungkook of the bakery that he had first seen Taehyung. Taehyung loved seeing the cute smile spread across Jungkook's features as he took in the scenery. Taehyung was reminded that that was the cute smile that he had fallen in love with instantly. But he thought there was no way Jungkook reciprocated his feelings. Love at first sight was not real.

Little did Taehyung know, that it was at that moment that Jungkook fell for the cute boy as well.

His scrawling script on the cookie box was beautiful, and the way his lithe, tan fingers brushed against his hand when he took the box.

Jungkook was smitten, to be completely honest. He had wanted to visit the shop again, but was too shy. So he had settled for just admiring the tan male from afar, not actually entering the bakery again.

"Here," Taehyung said, setting a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table. Jungkook giggled. Were cookies the only food Taehyung had in his house?

Jungkook gingerly picked up a cookie, and put it in his mouth. It literally melted in his mouth, it was so soft and gooey.

"These are amazing, Taehyung!" He exclaimed. He swallowed, smiling brightly at Taehyung.

Taehyung laughed, a deep, resonating sound that was so pleasing to Jungkook's ears.

Taehyung grinned back again. Then he spotted some chocolate on his lip. Should he...?

Might as well, he's got nothing to lose.

Taehyung leaned forward. His lips inches from Jungkook's. Jungkook's heart had nearly stopped in his chest as Taehyung got closer.

Taehyung captured Jungkook's lips in his. He kissed him slowly and softly. Jungkook kissed him back after a few seconds. The kiss wasn't fast, and it didn't feel rushed. It was as if the two had been a couple for years.

"Wow..." Jungkook breathed. Taehyung was beautiful and his kisses were filled with love. Plus, he was really good at kissing.

"Jungkook, I like you," Taehyung said, smiling.

Jungkook returned the smile. "I like you too, Taehyung. A lot," he said.

Taehyung pecked Jungkook's lips. "It's all because you came to my bakery, asking for fresh baked chocolate chip cookies," Taehyung giggled.

"You bet," Jungkook grinned.


	3. Punch Drunk Kiss (Meanie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo is finally returned to his beloved's arms, after years of Mingyu being gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one does have a twinge of violence!  
> requested by wattpad user @/patatosloth

 

The only sound Wonwoo could hear was his own breathing. The dilapidated apartment was dead silent, and Wonwoo was going crazy. He knew he should be glad that  _he_ wasn't here, but the silence was mind-numbing.

Wonwoo picked at his fingers. Since  _he_ wasn't here, he could try and escape. But he was too afraid that  _he_ would come back home earlier than expected. So, Wonwoo sat cowering on the floor, trying not to waste his sweet freedom of the day.

He was about to drift off, his head lolling sideways with sleepiness, when the front door swung open and slammed against a concrete wall.

Wonwoo froze with fear;  _he_ was home.

Wonwoo scrambled up against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible, hoping that  _he_ wouldn't notice him.

But his tactic of evasion failed, and  _he_ looked him straight in the eyes as  _he_ entered the room. A green bottle of beer hung from his grasp, his hands encircling the neck of the glass.

Wonwoo stared sadly at those hands. The hands he knew he should hate, yet he didn't. They were big and soft and Wonwoo used to feel so safe, with his own hand locked with his. And he still did.

 _He_ approached Wonwoo furiously. Wonwoo shrunk into himself, a fearful look in his features.

 _He_ grabbed a fistful of Wonwoo's hair and pulled him to his feet violently.  "What do you think you're doing, huh? You little bitch--,"  _he_ slurred, the alcohol making his speech slow and sloppy.

Wonwoo was trying not to cry in front of him. He knew that would only make it worse. His mind protested against the liquid that was threatening to spill over the precipice of his eyelids. But a hot tear fell over the edge and slid silently down Wonwoo's pale, bony cheeks.

 _He_ smirked lopsidedly, his lips quirking up into that oh-so-familiar grin. A twinge of nostalgia went through Wonwoo in the midst of his fear, and it only made his sadness and fear greater.

"Shooo...the wittle bitch is crying..what's wrong--you baby--you miss your mommy?" To most  _he_ would have sounded like a middle-school bully, but Wonwoo knew better than to think that way.  _He_ was just teasing Wonwoo, and the alcohol that addled his brain was what made the stupid sounding threats leave his mouth.

_Slap._

His hand flew across Wonwoo's face, leaving a red welt behind. "You're not allowed to cry, you slut,"  _he_ said angrily.  _He_ was the only reason Wonwoo was crying; the only reason he ever cried.

 _He_ continued to throw insult after insult at Wonwoo, and  _he_ was still getting angrier.

Wonwoo felt a sob building in his throat, but swallowed it back down. The tears still fell silently, like floodwaters escaping through a broken dam.

It was then that the beer bottle was swung. It connected with the top of Wonwoo's head, the green glass shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces upon impact.

Wonwoo's mind was swirling with pain, and he raised his hand to meet his head. When it came off, it was coated in red.

 _Blood._ Wonwoo thought hazily. His vision was becoming fuzzy, and he last thing he saw before he blacked out was  _his_  face contorted with anger, staring down at him with malice. 

\- - - 

Wonwoo's eyes fluttered open weakly, revealing the dirty carpet and disheveled house. He tried to sit up, but his head was pounding and felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

In his disoriented state, he felt something moving behind him. It let out a groan of pain.

Wonwoo turned slowly, revealing  _him._ Wonwoo blinked furiously, looking at his tormentor quietly.  _He_ was holding his head silently, probably because of his hangover.

And then  _he_ turned, his eyes meeting Wonwoo's. Wonwoo froze with fear, and he tried to prevent his body from shaking with trepidation.

But then Wonwoo noticed; it wasn't  _him._ It wasn't  _him._ His heart fluttered with hope.

"Min...gyu?" He whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. Wonwoo hadn't seen him in such a long time. He longed to be in Mingyu's embrace, his large, soft hands caressing Wonwoo's arms and back soothingly.

He looked over to Wonwoo's trembling figure, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Wonwoo, baby," he breathed, his voice almost catching in his throat. He shifted towards Wonwoo, his arms outstretched. But Wonwoo wasn't used to his gentle touch anymore, and flinched back.

"Wonwoo, it's me, it's Mingyu, don't be afraid," Mingyu cooed soothingly. Wonwoo knew it wasn't  _him._ So he inched closer to Mingyu, shaking violently.

Mingyu's arms encircled Wonwoo's small, frail body. " _He_ has been here the whole time, hasn't he?" Mingyu whispered, rocking them back and forth, Wonwoo's head lying in the crook of his neck.

Hot tears that he tried so desperately to hold in the night before spilled out in waves. "I-I I missed y-y-you s-so m-much," Wonwoo sobbed, his fingers clutching onto the fabric of Mingyu's shirt longingly. He cried, letting all the pent-up feelings pour out of him.

"Shh...I know, I'm so sorry, Woo. I'm so sorry," Mingyu apologized, rubbing circles into Wonwoo's bony back. "I tried so hard to come back, but  _he_  wouldn't let me.  _He_ had such a strong hold on me," Mingyu said quietly. "But I'm back now, it's alright. Don't cry baby, it breaks my heart," he whispered quietly, holding onto Wonwoo tighter.

Mingyu suddenly felt something wet on his shoulder, something apart from Wonwoo's tears.

Mingyu looked down with wide eyes to see a red stain blooming on his gray shirt. "Oh my god, Wonwoo, we've got to go the hospital, you're hurt!" Mingyu exclaimed worriedly. He scooped Wonwoo up in his arms rather easily.

He was so light, he weighed almost nothing it seemed.  _How long was I gone?_ Mingyu thought with horror. He felt terrible, he had left Wonwoo with that monster.

Slipping a pair of shoes on, Mingyu grabbed his keys and rushed out the door, Wonwoo still in his arms.

\- - -

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Mingyu sat in Wonwoo's hospital room, staring at his pale face. He was so beautiful, but he just didn't look alive anymore. Mingyu knew it was  _his_ fault that Wonwoo was like this. But it was also Mingyu's fault too; after all, the monster came from within him.

Mingyu was sitting there with a blank mind, when he heard a groan come from the bed. Wonwoo had opened his eyes.

Mingyu rushed over to him, grabbing Wonwoo's hand, and squeezing it tightly. "I'm here, baby, I'm here," He said reassuringly to the still slightly disoriented Wonwoo.

Wonwoo squeezed his hand back weakly, and gave him a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Mingyu looked at the floor in shame. "I...I asked the nurse what the date was. I'm sorry, Wonwoo, I'm sorry. It's June 15, 2016. It's been over a year that I've been gone. I'm so fucking sorry, this is all my fault," Mingyu sobbed quietly.

"It's not your fault, Mingyu," Wonwoo's beautiful voice said. He pushed Mingyu's chin up to look at him with his thin fingers.

He places a small kiss on Mingyu's soft lips. "I'm...just glad you're back," Wonwoo smiled again, this time a genuinely happy one. Mingyu smiled back, leaning in to kiss those soft lips that he loved so much.

Wonwoo was still an amazing kisser, even after a whole year, according to Mingyu. Their need for each had reached its peak though, and soon enough they were full on making out. Wonwoo's lips were hungry for Mingyu's and their kisses were hot and fast. Wonwoo entangled his frail hands in Mingyu's soft brown locks, pulling on his hair desperately.

"Mingyu, Mingyu, I love you," Wonwoo murmured when they pulled away, their foreheads resting together.

Mingyu grinned, putting his hands on the side of Wonwoo's face lovingly. "I love you too, my beautiful Jeon Wonwoo, I love you so fucking much it hurts," Mingyu said through the tears of joy streaming down his face.

"But, Mingyu...d-do y-you think  _he'll_ come back?" Wonwoo's voice shook as he realized they still had that problem.

Mingyu nodded, his eyes closed. "It's inevitable Woo.  _He's_ a part of me. I can't control  _him_ ," Mingyu said. "But I'm going to go get some medicine that will keep  _him_  under reigns for a while. Hopefully for a long time," Mingyu said, trying to reassure the boy that he would still be here for a while.

Wonwoo whimpered, and clung to Mingyu's strong frame as if he was going to blow away in a strong wind.

"It'll be okay, Wonwoo. Just remember that  _I, Kim Mingyu,_ love you more than words can say. And I'm sorry if  _he_ ever hurts you again against my will," Mingyu said, holding Wonwoo's hand tightly.

Wonwoo smiled. "Okay. I'll remember it for the rest of my life, that  _Kim Mingyu_  loves me," Wonwoo giggles.

Mingyu smiled widely. He hadn't heard that beautiful, twinkling laugh in so long.

"Come on, let's get out of here, my little garden fairy," Mingyu coos, pulling Wonwoo to his feet and holding him securely.

Wonwoo grinned into Mingyu's chest. He hadn't smiled in so long, it felt so good. And he finally had Mingyu back. 

He couldn't be happier. 


	4. Never Ever (HimUp)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Himchan enjoys watching the flames dance and the wood burn. But when things become too much, who will be there to save him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW : mentions of self-harm, arson, suicidal thoughts.

The flames flickered before my eyes. The dancing shadows of the fire were painted on the sidewalk. I smiled at my malicious art. It was beautiful, the shades of red and orange and blue encasing the hunk of wood people called a house.

I watched as a burning beam crashed down to the ground. I smiled wider. I opened my camera, and began to film my masterpiece in all of its glory.

It's licking tongues of fire were alluring to me. Others would be disgusted at the fact that I considered this art. But it was. Everything can become art, even the most "grotesque" of things.

I made masterpieces that would put many artists to shame, in my opinion. That's what I did to these old, run-down houses. Nobody lived in them, so I used them to create my artwork. I would never try to harm someone, at least not on purpose. I merely used the houses as media, not as a tool to hurt others.

Sighing, I snapped my camera shut, and pushed myself to my feet. I ran my hand through my flaming red hair. I had dyed it that color to represent my love for my art.

And my boyfriend loved it.

\- - -

"Channie!" A voice called as I closed the door to my apartment. A boy with blond hair came running towards me at full speed down the foyer. He jumped on me, pulling me into a tight hug.

I chuckled. "Hey, Jongup," I said. Jongup grinned. "I missed you. Where were you?" Jongup asked, looking at me with quizzical eyes.

"Just taking a walk. I needed some air," I half-lied. It was true; after all, I couldn't completely lie to Jongup. I had gone to get some air, when I stumbled upon that old house. It was the perfect canvas for my work. I just couldn't resist the temptation.

"All right, just tell me when you go somewhere next time. I was starting to get worried!" Jongup whined, encircling his arms around my waist. I smiled. "Of course, babe," I said.

I kissed him on the cheek, and made my way to my office. It was time to reveal my art to my avid supporters.

I plugged my camera into the computer resting on my desk, and watched as the files popped up on the screen.

I quickly uploaded the video to my website. Of course, I knew that ordinary people didn't exactly appreciate my work, so I always updated through multiple reroutes. That way the police couldn't find me and punish me for doing what I loved.

As soon as the video was uploaded, I got many positive comments from my regular supporters.

_-'Wow, I think this is one your best works yet! Can't wait for more!'_

_-'Oh my goodness, my eyes have been blessed. Keep up the good work!'_

_-'Your artwork really stirs my heart. Maybe we could collaborate some time?'_

I smiled at the positive comments. It was always good to see people appreciating me.

But my happiness wasn't very long-lasting. My eyes drifted down to the rest of the comments. They were all extremely negative.

_-'What the hell is wrong with you? That could have been someone's home! You people who enjoy stuff like this need to get your heads checked out!'_

_-'This is absolutely insane. Arsonists are seriously messed up.'_

_-'Art? This is a crime! All of you criminals should be thrown in cells to rot for the rest of your lives!"_

I frowned deeply at the comments. I knew it was inevitable that some people would hate what I did. But they just didn't understand. I felt tears coming to my eyes, and I tried not to cry. I was just doing what made me happy, why couldn't people appreciate that?

I closed the computer after logging off. Jongup's voice sounded from the living room. "Himchan! Come here!" He yelled.

I huffed. I did my best to wipe my eyes so it wouldn't look like I had been crying. I knew if Jongup saw my tear-stained face he'd start worrying, and I didn't want him to worry about me. I walked out of the room and into the living room, where Jongup was nowhere to be seen.

"Uppie?" I called. "In here!"

Jongup was standing at the kitchen counter, his face covered in flour, and a pan with dough on it resting on the granite surface. I suppressed a laugh, and went over to sit on the stool in front of him.

He grinned. "What do you want on the pizza? Green peppers, mushrooms? Sausage?" He asked as he turned around to pull multiple ingredients out of the fridge. "Hmm...sausage and mushrooms," I said. My mouth watered at the thought of the amazing pizza.

But Jongup wrinkled his nose and stuck his tongue out at me. "I don't like mushrooms~!" He whined. I smirked. "Too bad, Uppie. You can just make it half and half anyways," I said, flicking him on the forehead playfully.

He pouted. "Ugh, fine," He replied.

"Hey, Himchan, did you see the news?" Jongup suddenly asked as he put ingredients on the pizza. I shook my head. "No. Why?"

He nodded his head towards the television that was currently displaying the news channel.

My throat began to close up at the sight of the headline.

**"SUCCESSIVE FIRES** **SHOW EVIDENCE OF AN ARSONIST ON THE PROWL"**

"Isn't it terrible? I mean, seriously, who would set buildings on fire just for fun?" Jongup sighed, shaking his head in disapproval.

I let out a weak sigh in agreement. "Yeah...uh...it's re-really terrible," I tried not to trip over my words. The fact that Jongup disapproved of my passion, my heart, one of the few things that brightened my life, made me extremely upset. I was afraid now. What if he found out that  _I_ was the one setting those buildings on fire?

He would probably hate me. He would kick me out of the house and I'd be left on my own, to fend for myself. That terrified me. The love of my life hating me was something I could never handle. Because he was the only one I had, I would have nothing at all if he was gone.

I stared down at my hands, wringing them together nervously. I noticed I was shaking slightly, my shoulders sagging, and my mouth turned down into a frown. My throat was burning because of the effort it took to hold back my sobs.

"Himchan? You OK?" Jongup asked, worry tinging his voice. I didn't turn around to face him, but instead continued to stare at the TV with blurry vision.

"Channie?" He repeated. "I-I'm fine. Just gonna go t-to the bathroom," I said as quickly as possible before slipping off the bar stool and stumbling to the bathroom.

I slammed the door behind me. I let out a sob I knew I had been holding in. I could let go in the tiny prison. My body slid down the wall and I sat on the floor heavily.

I tried to suppress my cries as much as possible. I breathed in shuddering, painful breaths to try and stop myself from crying. I didn't want Jongup to hear me in the slightest.

He would be so worried, and I wasn't sure if I could lie to him about why I was crying.

See, Moon Jongup is just another one of my weaknesses. I have many weaknesses, too many to count. And Moon Jongup is the biggest one.

I love him so much, I'd do anything for him. If someone asked me to jump off a bridge to save his life, I would gladly do so. If I had to betray him just to save him, I would do so without a second thought. I'd sacrifice myself for him any day, because he had already saved me a plethora of times. But if he ever hated me, despised me; if he couldn't even look at me, I would be long gone. I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

He became the star that set my world afire when I was surrounded by darkness. He was like the fire I used to create masterpieces, but a million times more beautiful. But right now, even with that star, I'm being consumed by the sludge and blackness that is depression. The feeling that chokes me; a constant companion.

My depression has lessened in the years I've been with Jongup. The last time I cut was four years ago.

But the feeling was itching at me for the first time in forever; I had to. I let out a shaky breath and pushed myself towards the cupboard. I hastily wiped the tears from my eyes and opened the wooden door.

And I took them out. The gleaming pieces of metal that cut away my sadness but also brought me remorse.

With a quavering hand I took one of my death sentences, and brought it up to my pale, smooth skin.

At first I just touched the smooth hardware to my cool, damp skin. But the touch of it just made another onslaught of sadness crash down on me and I couldn't take it anymore. The black sludge was over my head and I was drowning in depression.

With sudden fury and anguish I ripped the edge through my snowy flesh. Red bloomed on the skin like blood dripping into fresh snow.

I just stared at the rent in my arm. And then I did it again, but more slowly. I took my time, sliding the blade through my skin like it was paper, sometimes having to jerk it a little if I went too slow.

But suddenly there was harsh knocking on the door. My head jerked up, my doe-eyes widened in fear. Jongup had caught me.

"Himchan? Himchan are you okay in there? It's been a while," Jongup asked. "I-I'm fine," I replied with a hoarse voice. "I'm coming in," He suddenly barked. What?

No.

No no no no.

_No._

I had forgotten to lock the fucking door. I froze in place, knowing there was no way I could hide my transgression from him now.

The door swung open, to reveal a worried-looking Jongup with a frown painting his beautiful features. "Himcha-..." He began, before trailing off when he saw my arm and my tear-stained cheeks.

He dropped onto his knees and reached towards me. I flinched. "Chan, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you," He whispered in a soothing voice.

"What's wrong, Channie? Please tell me," He pleaded. I shook my head, not looking at him.

"Nothing."

"I know it's not nothing. This is the first time in so long. Please, Himchan."

"Nothing. It's nothing. Nothing," I repeated, putting my hands on my ears.

"Himchan I-," He started.

"NOTHING!"  
"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine. I'm fine nothing's wrong. Nothing, nothing. It's nothing," I chanted my mantra of 'nothing' over and over again. I didn't notice but I began to slowly rock myself back and forth, and tears spilled out of my already abused and puffy eyes.

"Himchan, please! I love you so much, so please just tell me what's wrong!" Jongup cried.

"I-I I-I'm t-the o-one w-who..." I muttered, my hands dropping to my side limply.

"Whatever is wrong, Himchan, just tell me! I'm always here for you, I will always love you," Jongup said, moving to bring my trembling figure into his arms. He embraced me in a tight hug and I felt slightly warm again.

"I-I s-set those f-fires," I blurted. I said I couldn't lie to him.

Jongup looked at me in disbelief, but his gaze softened almost as soon as it had turned hard.

"I don't care, Himchan," He said.

"What?" I whispered.

"I don't care. At all. I already told you. I love you with everything I have. You thought I would care? I don't. It's fine," He reassured me.

I stared at him, hot tears flowing out of my eyes like water breaking through a dam.

I clung onto his shirt. "Tha-thank God," I whispered. "I-I thought you'd leave me. I...I love you Jonguppie," I said, burying my head into his chest. I already felt calmer as he caressed my hair lovingly.

"I would never leave you, Kim Himchan. Never in a million years," He said, before tilting my head up towards his. He placed a chaste, yet full of love, kiss on my lips.

"Let's get you cleaned up, alright? Plus, I have an idea of what would make you feel better."

\- - - 

This time, I wasn't alone.

We both sat on the limb of a large tree, hand in hand.

The blaze raged in front of us, its tongues once again flickering like a lantern, or a firefly.

I was immensely happy that the one I loved was next to me. I knew he didn't totally approve of my art, but his acceptance was all I needed.

"Himchan, always remember I love you, okay?" He said.

I smiled.

"Of course. And I'll never, ever let you go," I replied, kissing him fully on the lips.

Moon Jongup was what lit my world ablaze, even more than the beautiful flames dancing in front of my eyes.

Moon Jongup was more beautiful than those flames by far.

Moon Jongup was the one that woke me up.

Moon Jongup was the one that grabbed my hand and pulled me up from the dangling precipice I was clutching on to.

Moon Jongup IS my world.

And I will, never, ever forget that.


	5. Exterminate! (JunHao)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junhui is the potty-mouthed exterminator. Minghao just wants to get rid of the rat in his house. Oh, how things took a different turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> justtttttt saying, this is probably one of my least favorites now. started off well, ended badly. definitely some old wattpad cringe of mine.

Minghao let out a squeal of disgust. "Oh my god! What is that?! Oh my god, oh my god," Minghao was freaking out, and grabbed a chair to stand on so he wasn't stepping on the floor.

He flailed his arms around as he tried to gain his balance on the top of the chair, before he reached in his pocket.

He let out a sigh of relief. Thank god he left his phone in his pants' pocket.

He dialed the number he had found on the internet.

"Hello?"

Minghao said, when the person on the other line picked up.  _"Yes, what can I help you with?"_

"I'd like you to send someone over here as quickly as possible, I have a bit of a problem," Minghao explained.

 _"Of course, sir. Just tell us your problem and address,"_ the polite woman requested. Minghao nodded, even though she couldn't see him.

He quickly explained his situation to the nice lady.  _"We will send someone as soon as possible. Does 4 p.m sound all right?"_ She asked.

"Yes, thank you," Minghao replied. He hung up and ran his hand through his pink hair. "Phew...I thought I was going to have to stay up here all day," He said to himself.

He decided to sit down, with his feet still on top of the chair. There was half an hour until 4, so he'd just wait it out.

**(Jun p.o.v)**

"Hey, Junhui! You've got a job!" I heard Seungcheol yell from the front of the office.

"Bitch, what?! I thought I was done for today?" I screamed back, annoyance seeping into my voice.

"I'll pay you for overtime?" He said hesitantly when he came into the back room.

"Hmm..." I crossed my arms and glared at him. "Why does it have to be me? Can't you send Jihoon or someone?" I tried to get out of the situation by negotiating with my boss. "You're the only one still here!" Seungcheol cried. He gave me big puppy eyes. "Please~, Junhui?"

I sighed. I could use the extra money, and if I was really the only worker still here... "Fine, you needy bitch, I'll go. But you better remember to add the extra money into my paycheck, or you'll have to catch these hands," I warned, smacking Seungcheol on the back.

"Thanks, Jun! I really appreciate it!" Seungcheol whooped with glee. "Here's the address, make sure you have everything you need before you go," He said, placing a piece of paper in my palm.

"I hate you sometimes, Seungcheol," I grumbled. "Love you too, Junhui!" Seungcheol called back, already exiting the room. "Fucka you!" I yelled.

\- - -

I pulled up to the address that Seungcheol's shitty handwriting directed me to. I parked the van only slightly recklessly, with the back end sticking probably three feet into oncoming traffic.

If Seungcheol forced me to work after my shifts were over, he could deal with the damages.

I slammed the door shut and threw open the passenger side. I grumbled to myself as I pulled out all the necessary materials and stomped up to the customer's front door.

I knocked loudly, because the house didn't appear to have a doorbell.

I heard quick pattering of footsteps on the floor inside. It sounded like a kid's steps, not an adult. 

The door swung open abruptly, and revealed a skinny male with pink and gray hair.

What the fuck, this kid looked like he was 16.

I took a deep breath, and raised my hand in greeting. "Hey, I'm Jun. How can I help you?" I said, because stupid Seungcheol didn't actually tell me what this kid's problem was.

"Oh my god, thank you for coming!" He squeaked. His voice was boyish and cute.

Did I just call him cute? Hell no, he wasn't cute! Little brat...

"Please hurry, I saw this massive rat or something! I won't be able to even touch the floor for very long if it's still here!" He exclaimed frantically.

Was he serious? He wouldn't even walk around because of a rat?

I peered inside. I sighed deeply at the sight of a chair in the middle of the kitchen. "All right, just let me in and I'll do my best," I told him.

He grinned brightly. He led me inside his house, towards he kitchen.

"Thank you! But if you don't mind, I'm not leaving my island. Not until I'm sure it's gone," he said, making a grimace.

"Didn't you know that rats can climb up chairs? They're very skilled climbers," I said monotonously.

"What!?" He practically shrieked. I winced, and rubbed my ear. Man, he screamed loudly.

Then he grabbed my arm and clung onto it.

I looked at him. "What are you doing?"

He squinted at me. "Rats can't really climb, can they?" He questioned suspiciously.

"Yup, they can," I said matter-of-factly.

He gasped in fear once again. "I'm not letting go of you," He stated. God, this kid was annoying.

Truthfully, I didn't know if rats could climb or not. But, hey, I was supposed to be the expert. I'd just "expertly" make some things up about rats' climbing abilities.

I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today, and pushed the pink-haired male off of me. "Just let me do my job," I said.

He nodded slowly, and darted over to his chair.

I began working to draw the rat out of its hiding spot. I placed mouse traps with peanut butter in multiple spots.

That was basically all I could do. We had to wait until the thing got caught in a trap.

"Done," I announced.

"Really? It's gone?" A smile lit up the cuti- I mean, stupid kid's face.

"No, I just set the traps. I hope you can deal with it if it gets caught. I'm not coming back," I drawled, rolling my eyes at him. 

He pouted, and crossed his arms over each other. "If you don't come back, I'm not paying you," he said.

I gawked. "Bitch! I came all the way here to set up some fuckin mouse traps and you're not going to pay me? Just because I refuse to drive allllllll the way back to dispose of the dead rats? Are you insane?"

Now I was starting to get angry with this brat. I tried to calm myself down though. Seungcheol always scolded me for having the amount of patience of an ant.

Fuck him, I knew my limits. This kid wouldn't set me off, I wouldn't let him.

I took a deep breath. "I'm not coming back. Sorry, but is it really so hard to just throw something in the trash can?" I said, after calming myself down.

"Yes. It's your job to do it anyways!" He said. The NERVE. "You're obligated! You have to come back! Also, I saw some in the basement too, you should put some down there too!" He whined, pointing his finger at my face.

That's it. I'm done. So much for trying to keep myself from erupting like a volcano.

"Okay!" I screamed angrily, grabbing the boy by his collar and shaking him. "I will set your fucking mouse traps in the basement, but I refuse to come back! Thats final! Do we have a deal?" I asked, fury rolling off me in waves.

The pink haired munchkin looked terrified, but I could care less. He nodded meekly, and walked over to a door. He turned the knob and the door creaked open slowly.

"It's down here, let's go," he said quietly.

Maybe I scared him too much? Nah...

I walked down the stairs with my things, him following closely behind.

It took me ten minutes probably, to set the rest of the traps. This kid was such a pain.

"Okay, I'm done. And like I said, I'm not coming back," I said sternly.

The pink-haired male shuffled his feet and looked down at his shoes. "Fine..." he mumbled sadly.

"Bye, bitch, no need to pay me. My shitty boss is already doing that," I growled, stomping back up the steps and out the front door.

What an ordeal...

\- - -

Seungcheol hadn't asked me to do anything else overtime this week. Except when he wanted me to pick something up from his house today.

I swear, this is the last favor I will ever do for the bastard. I honest to god could kill Seungcheol some days.

I opened the door to Seungcheol's apartment building and walked inside briskly. What a fucking pain. Did Seungcheol not have legs? Was he a cripple? No. The answer is no.

So why the fuck, is he having ME, walk all the way to his apartment to pick up his phone charger?

His phone charger.

Like honestly, what the hell?

Good lord, that man gets on my nerves. I walked over to the elevator door, stomping so harshly I probably made dents in the floor.

People were giving me weird looks, so I just gave them the finger. That just made them disgusted, but that's okay. They deserve to be flipped off, those stupid judgey judgers.

I huffed, and pressed the elevator button.

The doors slid open with a chime, and I stepped in, still fuming. "Bitch, who does he think he is? Just because he's my boss, doesn't mean he can boss me around..." I grumbled to myself. "Oh wait...he's my boss, which means it's his job to tell me what to do," I realized, really pissed off now.

My day couldn't get any worse.

Or so I thought.

As the elevator doors were about to close, a pair of hands forced their way through the crack, pushing the metal back open. A pink haired male stumbled in, almost banging his head against the wall. Pink hair...no fucking way.

He rubbed his head and glanced up at me, before laughing nervously. "Sorry about that." And then he realized it was me, staring down at him with the fires of hell raging in my eyes.

"Oh, it's you! Jun! Haha how ya doing? Good? Good," he rambled nervously.

I was going to tell him off. "Listen here-uh-whatever your name is! I don't care that you're here, just don't bother me!" I huffed, crossing my arms and glaring at the metal doors.

"Minghao," he said.

I squinted my eyes. "What?"

"My name is Minghao," he repeated.

So that's what his name was. Great, but I really didn't care.

"Ugh, whatever."

There was suddenly a rumbling sound, and the elevator shook. We both fell to the ground from the sudden jolt. The elevator wasn't moving anymore.

"Oh my god. Are we stuck here?" I screeched.

"I don't know. Maybe there's just a temporary malfunction!" Minghao said. He banged on the doors. "Is anybody out there? There's people in here!" He called.

"They probably can't hear you, Minghao," I said, trying to keep myself calm. He nodded in agreement. "Do you have your phone?" He asked.

I nodded, pulling out my phone from my back pocket. "Who should I call, though?" I questioned, all the while attempting to keep my voice from quivering.

"Uh...maybe the landlord? He probably could call the elevator maintenance," Minghao reasoned. Huh...this kid was actually kind of smart.

I unlocked my phone, and was about to dial the number I found, when my phone screen went black.

"No. Fucking. Way," I whispered. Minghao peered over my shoulder. "What is it?" He asked. "My phone just died..." I said, dread creeping into my voice.

"Oh sweet Jesus, Jun. I don't have my phone. What now?" He wondered out loud. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I guess we just have to wait," I said. He nodded, and sat down in a corner of the elevator. "Why don't we try and get to know each other a little bit, then?" Minghao suggested. I actually...liked that idea. It might help.

"What's your favorite color?" Minghao asked, a playful tone in his voice.

"I don't have one, really," I replied. Minghao looked thoughtful for a moment. He tapped his finger on his chin. That was cute-no, no it wasn't. Shit, what's wrong with me?

The silence in the small space was almost suffocating. Minghao had only stopped talking for a couple moments though.

His melodic voice suddenly reached my ears again. "I like pink!" He grinned. I snickered lightly. "That's probably why your hair looks like cotton candy," I said. He swatted my arm, a pout on his face.

"You butt, I think it looks nice," he said, still pouting cutely.

I let a small smile slip out onto my features. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all. "Let me think of another question," He grinned excitedly.

Silence overtook the space once again. I was trying so hard not to freak out. It felt like my lungs were closing up and the walls around me were getting closer by the second.

The one thing I hate about myself, is this stupid fear.

Claustrophobia.

It was one of the flaws I had that I absolutely could not bear with. It wasn't my fault I was like this either. I didn't use to be claustrophobic, until that day.

I currently felt like I was going to keel over and die any minute. My head was getting a little dizzy, and I was breathing harder than normal. I needed to get out.

 

 

 

**(Minghao p.o.v)**

So Jun and I got stuck in an elevator. Just my luck. I didn't dislike Jun, he was just a little rude and mean sometimes.

His phone had died, and we had no way to contact the outside world. I slid down the wall with a sigh, plopping myself on the elevator floor.

Jun looked a little fidgety, so I decided we should get to know each other a bit. I suggested this to him, and he nodded. He looked a little more relieved than he was before, so that was good, I guess.

"What's your favorite color?" I asked. Hey, I know it's basic, but it's always a decent question to start with!

He scrunched up his nose slightly while thinking. It was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen. I suppressed a giggle.

He replied, "I don't have one, really." Ha, lies. Everybody has a favorite color!

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. I really enjoyed pink, so I guess that was my favorite color.

"I really like pink!" I exclaimed, grinning brightly at him. He flinched a little bit, I don't know why. But he almost instantly relaxed and smirked at me. "That's probably why your hair looks like cotton candy," he snickered quietly.

I smacked his arm playfully to release some of the tension.

"You butt! I think it looks nice," I said, putting a fake pout on, and trying to look upset.

He gave a small smile at me, while I delved back into the realms of Minghao's universe to think of another question.

A barely audible whimper jerked me out of my thoughts. I glanced over at Jun, who had his arms clasped around his body. His knees were pulled up to his chest and he was rocking slightly back and forth.

"Jun?" I asked quietly. I crawled over to him quickly. His handsome face was covered in sweat, and he was trembling almost violently.

"Help, help get me out of here. Help, help, please," he whimpered.

He must have claustrophobia. Oh god, why didn't he tell me?

I put my arms around him, and brought him into a hug. "Shh, Jun, it's okay. I'm here, don't worry," I whispered, stroking his hair softly.

I had to calm him down, or he would panic even more. For him, I'm sure the walls seemed like they were squeezing the life out of him.

I continued to rock him back and forth in my embrace, continuously running my fingers through his brown locks.

"Shh, shh. It'll be okay, we'll get out. Just stay with me here, Jun," I murmured. He nodded.

After about an hour, he seemed to be pretty calm, and fell asleep in my arms from exhaustion.

He looked like the most handsome being on Earth. That was something I could not deny. This roller-coaster of a man had made my heart flutter for the first time in years. It made me happy, and excited.   
Finally, I could see love on the horizon again.

I had a feeling that I would be swept into the depths of hell because of him.

And I'd probably love every second of it.

 

\- - -

 

 

(Two years later)

"Junhuiiiiiii!!!!" I scream, skidding into our apartment's living room.

"What the fuck, Hao! Slow down!" Jun laughs, catching me in his arms as I collapse on to the couch.

"Guess what?" I ask.

"What?" He says, grinning widely.

I whip out a small, wrapped box from behind me. I hold it out towards him. "Happy Birthday, baby," I whisper, sitting on his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck.

He smiles softly. "Fucking hell, Hao. I forgot my own birthday," He laughs, pulling on the little bow I had ties on top.

He slowly unwraps my gift, and a velvety red box is revealed. He looks up at me hesitantly, his eyes shining. "Go ahead, open it," I say, pecking him on the forehead. He nods, and presses his lips together cutely.

Jun gasps in surprise. "Minghao! Oh my God!" He whispers. I giggle. "Do you like them?" I picked them out of the box still resting firmly in his grasp.

I slide the shining silver band onto his finger.

"Jun, will you be mine? Forever?" I ask.

Jun looks up at me, his eyes watering. I wipe at his tears. "Why are you crying, Jun?" I question, a smile playing on my lips.

"I-I just love you so much, Minghao," he cries, holding onto my waist tightly.

"So, will you marry me, Wen Junhui?" I repeat.

He nods vigorously. "Of course I will! Of course, Minghao, of course," Jun says, burying his head in my chest.

I hold on to him tighter, as if he'll leave me at any second. I never want to let him go.

I fell in love with this train-wreck, and I don't regret any of it.

That brazen, cussing, rude exterminator is mine now. And I'm his.

Nobody can tear us apart now.

Nobody can  _exterminate_  our love


	6. Love Paint (JongKey)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kibum had had a bad day at that photography exhibiton. Now, all he wants is a new job and a new camera. He may get more than he asked for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written in April of 2017. 
> 
> this was also written before i realized p.o.v changes SUCK

 

"Kim Kibum, fine arts photography reporter," I said, showing the looming security guard my I.D badge. He nodded gruffly. "The reporters are in the back," he said, waving me through. I bowed quickly and dashed into the venue. The massive room was lined with beautiful photos by every photographer under the sun. I pulled out my camera and notepad from my bag and made my way to the area where several other reporters stood. I greeted the few that I Knew and politely introduced myself to the others.

I turned around with a smile still plastered on my face, and suddenly collided with another entity. I fell on my ass, and I heard a crack.

' _Oh my God, what was that?'_

With horror clearly evident on my features, I slowly turned around to see my camera on the ground. There was broken glass surrounding my precious baby.

"Oh my God!" I screeched, my voice reaching octaves I never thought possible. I turned around to pick up the broken shards of my entire income.

It had taken me years to save enough money to buy this camera. Now, all my hard work had gone down the drain. All because of one stupid guy that smacked into me.

Hey...someone bumped into me...it was their fault that my one and only had a cracked lens now!

I stood up quickly and whipped around to face the offender.

"Are you okay?" A melodic voice asked. My eyes traveled up to meet a beautiful face with sharp yet soft features and a shock of white blond hair. His dark eyes sparkled as he met my gaze. He stretched out a hand to me. I reached out to take it but then squeaked.

He looked at me quizzically. I stuck my broken camera into his face rather roughly. "I'm fine, thanks, but my camera isn't!" I said, glaring at the astonishingly handsome man with fury in my eyes.

"Well, uh, I'm sorry. Can't you just buy a new one though?" He asked. This bitch! He thought I could just buy a new one. I'll show him.

"Come here, you!" I screeched, running towards him with my hands outstretched, trying to grab him. "You try and buy a new one of these! See how expensive they are!" I yelled, chasing him around in a circle.

"Security!" He suddenly screamed. I froze as two massive guards came and hooked me around the arms. "Let's go, pretty boy," one said before they began dragging me, kicking and screaming, out of the photo exhibition and onto the bustling street. "Hands off me!" I protested, trying to push their arms away.

Once they figured I was far enough away, they released me and let me smack onto the concrete.

"Ouch," I said, wincing. I rubbed my bottom and stood up, sighing defeatedly in the process. Guess I had to head back to the office now...

\- - -

"Key!" A voice roared as I closed the door to the newspaper office. Oh Lord, please save me. "Yes?" I called. A stagnant pause. "Get your ass in here, right now."

I gulped in fear as I made my way down the hallway and into Mr. Im's room.

I entered quietly, trying to keep myself calm and collected. "Key," Mr. Im said stalely. "How many chances have I given you?" he asked, his anger already seeping into his voice. "Three, sir," I replied, trying to swallow the lump building in my throat. "And how many chances do you have left?" He asked, seething. I counted slowly in my head. "Z-zero..." I replied guiltily. He nodded. "Things like this-" He switched on the TV to a news channel. There was a video of a blond haired figure chasing a white haired male down, as if the man had just murdered the blond's friend. The blond was me. My throat suddenly felt as dry as a desert, and I felt like I was going to cry. "-are what get you fired after three chances."

All my hard work was nothing, because I was about to be fired. "I'm sorry, but your short fuse is a problem for us. You keep stirring up a ruckus and drawing unwanted attention to our paper. You're fired," the boss explained sternly, no hint of remorse in his voice. I, on the other hand, felt like my world was crashing down on me and it was almost hard to breathe. "Collect your stuff and be out in an hour. Good luck, Key," he said, his tone softening at the end. I smiled weakly. "T-thank you, Mr. Im," I said, nodding at him politely.

I then proceeded to exit his office and headed to my desk to collect my things. As I was tossing my items into a cardboard box, I heard a familiar voice call my name "Key! Key!" A dark haired man ran up to me, "Ah, Jinki...what's up?" I said sadly.

"Key, is it true? Did Mr. Im really fire you?" He asked with sympathy in his chocolate eyes. I nodded, my eyes on the floor. I heaved my cardboard box into my arms and walked out of the building. Jinki hurried to my side as I trudged out down the sidewalk. "Key, it'll be okay, you'll find another job soon! You'll pick one up as quick as lightning, I'm sure!" Jinki tried to cheer me up and squeezed my shoulder encouragingly. "Tell you what, Key, my friend told me was looking for a model for his next photo exhibition. Maybe you could try something different for a change? Take a break from being a reporter. Who knows, maybe you'll hit it big as a model," Jinki suggested. I gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Jinki. I'll give you a call if I'm interested," I said quietly. Jinki grabbed my hand and placed a card in my palm. "Here's his business card. Call him if you want he job, not me," He grinned, patting me on the back. "Don't get too down on yourself, Kim Kibum, I know how you are!" He gave me a smack again, before running back to true newspaper office.

I sighed, and trudged towards my house. But I didn't make it very far before I stumbled upon a club. I didn't have a second thought when I dropped my box in the small coat room and made my way to the bar. I immediately asked the bartender for a couple shots to drown my sorrows.

After a couple swigs of the pungent liquid, my head already seemed to be spinning, and I was blabbering about something to the bartender, tears streaming down my sticky skin. I suddenly turned my head to the side, only to catch a pair of very familiar, sparkling eyes staring back at me.

**(3rd person p.o.v)**

Jonghyun had a tiring day at that photo exhibition, and came to the club to unwind. First, he was attacked by the cute, tall blond male he bumped into. Jonghyun didn't mean to break the man's camera, and he tried to apologize. But the male went off like a bomb when Jonghyun mentioned buying a new one. Jonghyun knew cameras were rather expensive, but he didn't understand why the blond made such a big deal out of it. If he was at that exhibition, he had to have been somewhat wealthy and popular. After all, only the best were invited to the Seoul Photography Exhibition. After Jonghyun dealt with that, he was bombarded with questions from reporters all day long.

It was extremely draining to answer the same question fifty times. So Jonghyun went to his favorite nightclub to blow off some steam. Jonghyun slid onto a bar stool, sighing deeply, "The usual?" The bartender asked while wiping a glass clean. "Yeah, thanks, Hakyeon," Jonghyun replied. Hakyeon passed Jonghyun his drink. "Here you are, Jong," Hakyeon said.

Jonghyun picked up the glass and took a sip. Abruptly, the customer sitting next to Jonghyun slammed his shot glass on the counter. "An-nother good sir!" The blond slurred. Hakyeon rolled his eyes and filled up another. Jonghyun squinted at the male beside him.

His face was familiar, and the piece Jonghyun was missing clicked. It was the guy who attacked him earlier!

"Listen, kid. You're drunk, you should get going," Hakyeon said, trying to persuade him to leave. He shook his head violently. "No! I'm...sad..." he said, his face suddenly crumpling. Jonghyun's heart contracted at the sight of the beautiful man's features contorted in pain and sadness.

The blond began to speak, as tears rolled down his flushed cheeks. He sniffed loudly. "I got * _hic_ * fired today, because * _hic_ * some stupid guy made me * _hic_ *, break my camera. * _hic_ * And I g-got upset a-and tried to hit him * _hic_ * and my boss found out," the blond was babbling, streams of tears streaking his face. Jonghyun gulped guiltily. He was he reason this guy got fired? Now he felt terrible.

But the blond wasn't done yet. "Do y-you know * _hic*,_ how long it took me to save * _hic*_ up for that camera? F-five years! I w-wanted to be a reporter so badly * _hic*._ " A sob left his throat. The blond's head then turned to face Jonghyun. Jonghyun's eyes widened in surprise as the blond spoke, "I-I w-wanted...", before plummeting forward, falling into Jonghyun's lap.

He was asleep. Hakyeon facepalmed, "Jonghyun, his phone is probably in his pocket. Call someone for him, won't you?" Jonghyun nodded hesitantly, looking down at the handsome blond's tear-stained face. He reached into his pockets, and luckily found his phone in one of them. And there was no passcode too. Even better. Jonghyun scrolled through his contacts, and a familiar name caught his eye.

**Lee Jinki.**

'Thank God for that,' Jonghyun thought. He'd known Jinki for a long time, and they were good friends.

He dialed his number. "Kibum, what's up?" Jinki answered. "Hey, Jinki, it's Jonghyun. I've got your friend here, who's drunk as a sack of bricks. Can you come pick him up?" Jonghyun asked. Jinki sighed. "No, sorry. Kibum just got fired, and since he's gone, I have to cover his work for this week. I won't be done until late. Sorry, Jonghyun!" He apologized, "It's alright, just send me his address so I can drop him off."

Jinki quickly rattled out some numbers and a street before hanging up, and leaving Jonghyun to deal with the situation himself. Jinki informed Jonghyun that Kibum had a box full of stuff somewhere. Jonghyun found it stuffed in the small coat room, so he picked it up in one arm while holding Kibum up with the other.

This, was going to be a struggle.

 

\- - - 

 

I woke up with a pounding head and a feeling of nausea. Great idea, Kibum. You just had to go and get yourself drunk.

I pushed myself up off my bed and stumbled into the bathroom to empty the contents of my stomach. I puked until my throat felt raw. Not a fun experience.

I slowly trudged to the kitchen to make some coffee. My kind of coffee was mostly sugar though. I hated black coffee with a passion.

I plopped down on my couch with my mug and shut my eyes, breathing deeply. I didn't remember how I got home the night before, no matter how much I probed my brain. I just remembered getting fired and then drinking st that bar. Maybe I called someone to take me home. I sighed, the thought of being fired weighing my mind down. And then, I remembered the business card Jinki gave me.

Modeling wouldn't exactly be my first choice as a job, but I did admit I had a stunning face. Maybe I should try it, I might enjoy it. I placed my coffee on the table and got up to rummage through my clothes and cardboard box. I finally found it stuffed in the back pocket of my dress pants.

The name  **Kim Jonghyun** was printed in bold letters on the front. Apparently he was a professional photographer, his most common medium being human photography. Explained why he needed a model.

I looked at the phone number on the card and dialed it. It rang twice before someone picked up.

"Hello, Kim Jonghyun photography studio. How may I help you?" A woman asked on the other line.

"Um...I heard Mr. Kim was in need of a model for his upcoming project. I don't have much experience but I'd like to gain some and try this out," I told her timidly.

"Of course, if you're interested, that's great!! Please come to this address at 2 p.m. We'll be having a sort of audition today for all the models interested," the kind woman said happily.

"Ah, thank you! My name is Kim Kibum, by the way, in case you need my name," I said, much more full of joy this time.

"Thank you, Mr. Kim. Come to XXXX XXX St. at 2 o'clock please. See you then." The lady hung up. I smiled happily. I might be getting a job just a day after I lost my previous one.

I glanced at the time; it was 12:30. I had just enough time to shower and change.

I put on my favorite outfit: ripped black jeans paired with a causal white button-up. Simple but stylish. Plus, skinny jeans made my butt look pretty good. I looked in the mirror and smiled brightly at my reflection.

I was looking hot. Of course, that was a given : I'm Kim Kibum, after all. I was excited now, all the bad thoughts from yesterday had been expelled from my mind. I grabbed my keys, phone, and wallet and skipped out of the house happily.

I quickly headed to the address the nice lady had told me. When I got there, I had to check in and I got a number assigned to me. I saw several other males sitting in the waiting area.

I took a seat next to a tall, lanky man. I smiled brightly at him. "Hi, I'm Kim Kibum," I said, introducing myself.

He returned the smile politely. "Ahn Jaehyun,nice to meet you Kibum," he said. I nodded.

"You too."

I made conversation with Jaehyun for maybe ten minutes before my number was called, I stood up nervously, my palms already sweating.

"Hey, Kibum-ah, don't worry. Jonghyun is a pretty chill guy. I've worked with him before. Plus, you're really hot, he'll probably love you," Jaehyun said encouragingly, giving me a wink.

I flashed him a grin. "Thanks, Jaehyun." I appreciated his words a lot. I felt less nervous now, and made my way into the next room. A short, white-blond haired man stood behind a camera, his back facing me.

He turned around to face me and I almost stopped breathing. It was the guy that caused me to get fired, and the one that broke my camera. His face was also shocked.

He pointed at me. "Kim Kibum, you're Jinki's drunk friend that attacked me at the photo exhibition!" He yelped.

"You know Jinki?" I questioned, my eyebrows raised. "Oh, wait, silly me, he's the one who gave me your card." I remembered.

"Oh well, let's just do this," Jonghyun sighed.

"Stand over there, we'll take a few shots to see if you're any good." Jonghyun showed me where to stand.

He told me to do several different poses. I begrudgingly complied and did my best to give good results. The shutter went off repeatedly for a couple minutes.

And then it was silent for a bit, so I sneaked a look at Jonghyun. He was staring at his computer, his mouth hanging open as if in awe of something.

I looked at him before opening my mouth to say something, "Jonghyun, am I finis-." "You've got it. You're hired," he said, beckoning me over with a wave of his hand.

I walked over and looked at the images on the computer screen. "Wow.." I breathed, my eyes widening in surprise. I looked stunning. Not to toot my own horn or anything; they seriously looked good.

"I think these are some of the best photos I've ever taken of a man," Jonghyun said, a huge smile plastered on his face.

I blushed at the words. "You're definitely going to be a model...and be my boyfriend, too," Jonghyun said, mumbling the last part. He probably hadn't meant for me to hear that. Nevertheless my face heated up even more with the statement. 

Did he really want to date me? 

"Did you mean that last part?" I asked shyly. 

Jonghyun's gaze snapped over to me. "Huh? Oh, uh....well," he said, pink beginning to flush across the top of his cheekbones.

"Only if you want to..." He looked down at his feet, embarrassed.

I suddenly was a bit more confident, seeing him shy and embarrassed. 

I smirked playfully and leaned down towards his face. I quickly placed a small peck on his cheek and dashed away.

"You'll have to try harder than that, short stuff," I called from the doorway. 

He sat gaping at me.

"This hottie's gonna be harder to catch than you think."

I smiled at him, and ran out the door.

What a ride he's in for...


	7. Undead?! (InBin) V.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngbin takes his disaster of a zombie boyfriend to the amusement park. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the first version of a special SF9 one-shot i wrote! I don't stan SF9, but decided to do this anyways! it's a little weird, aha. enjoy though!

"Youngbinnnnnnnnn~!" A voice screeched from the front of my apartment. Dear God, what could he possibly want now? I grumbled and went to tend to the mess of the man that I loved.

"What is it, Inseong?" I said as I walked into the living room. I frowned though, because Inseong wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Inseong? Where are you?" I called. "In here!" He yelled, his voice sounding from the foyer near the front door. I proceeded to make my way towards the sound of his melodic (but sometimes really irritating) voice.

And as soon as I saw him, I turned around and started walking back the way I came.

"Wait, no, Youngbin, just help me please!" He pleaded. I wasn't looking at his face but I could tell that he was giving me the biggest puppy dog eyes. I sighed deeply, massaging my temples.

"How the hell do you keep managing to do this?" I groaned as I looked back at him.

He still looked so stupid. One of his arms was squished in the door, and his other arm seemed to be jutting out from UNDER the door. I swear to god, he's somehow gets his appendages stuck in every place possible.

"Help me pull it out, please~?" He asked sheepishly. I sighed again, and took hold of his arm-less shoulder. "I'm going to pull on the count of 3, OK?" I asked, and he nodded his head.

"One, two, three!" I yelled, before tugging violently on his torso. He popped out of the door with a sickening crack, which was probably the sound of his arm breaking off.

He let out a screech and fell into my arms, his head resting on my chest.

"Inseong, could you actually make an effort to NOT get your limbs stuck in doors?" I sighed, exasperated.

He pouted. "Mm...I'll try..." He mumbled quietly, a flush of red starting to spread on his cheeks.

Not really sure how he managed to blush like that. He was dead, after all.

I sighed again, and pulled him tighter against me. "You're such an imbecile," I said. He smiled shyly up at me. "Heheh."

Having a zombie boyfriend sure proved to be difficult.

\- - -

"Inseong, we've gotta get going now! I want to beat the traffic!" I hollered.

"I'm coming," he said. I then witnessed one of the most ridiculous outfits of his yet. We'd been dating for about a year, but I was constantly surprised by him.

The bedroom door had swung open to reveal a brunet Inseong, decked out in the most ridiculous clothes he owned. His caramel eyes sparkled with excitement. Inseong smirked at me, "What, jealous of my impeccable style?" I thought his choices of clothing were outrageous, but nevertheless, he was fucking adorable as he stood there with a stupid grin on his face. ( **I'll leave you to imagine his outfit by yourselves)**

I couldn't help but crack a smile, which in turn just made him smile more. My heart was beating incredibly fast, enough for both of us.

One of the few things that caused Inseong to get down in the dumps was the fact that he didn't have a living body, with blood coursing through his veins and a heart that was pumping. Sometimes I'd let him just lay with his ear pressed against my chest so he could listen to my heartbeat, and he could fantasize about having one of his own.

Besides that fact, Inseong was always smiling, always happy, and always lifting the spirits of everyone around him. He just had a sunshiney disposition that everybody loved.

Including me, of course.

"Okay, Inseong, I'll admit, I'm SUPER jealous," I chuckled, pulling him by the arm into the hallway. "Have you got everything?" I asked him, encircling my arm around his waist.

"Yup! I'm all set!" He beamed. I laughed again. "Okay, let's go," I said.

We walked out of our apartment, hand in hand.

\- - -

"OHOOOO MY GOD THIS IS FUCKING AMAAZZZZINNNGGGG!" Inseong screamed at the top of his lungs. I winced, putting a finger in my ear. Jeez, he yelled way too loudly.

Inseong and I were currently riding "The Gatekeeper", Inseong's favorite rollercoaster at Cedar Point  **(I live in America okay**


	8. Morgue (InBin) V.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inseong spends most of his time around the dead: in the morgue. Encountering the living dead, however, is not what he had signed up for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my longest one-shot i believe, and also one of my old favorites. i hope this feeds some of the desperate sf9 stans.

Inseong sat at his desk in the autopsy room, shuffling through papers. He sighed deeply, and ran a hand through his disheveled auburn hair.

He had been looking over reports for hours, making sure that he didn't screw anything up.

There was a knock on the glass sliding doors of the room. "We've got one, Doctor Kim," a tall man named Jaeyoon said. He walked in, pushing a metal gurney in front of him. Another bloody, bruised, and cut up body lay on the white sheet, just like the ones that Inseong saw every day.

"What's the situation this time?" Inseong asked, honestly bored.

"Well, he was murdered, obviously. He was found in the middle of the street, almost got run over by a couple of cars before someone called in and reported it. We just need you to confirm his cause of death. And if you find anything odd, just call Detective Baek," Jaeyoon explained, his eyebrows slightly crinkled in thought as he went through his mental checklist.

Inseong nodded while he pushed the body onto the metal table in the middle of the room. "Thanks, Jaeyoon, I appreciate it," Inseong thanked him.

"No problem, Doctor. See you around," Jaeyoon saluted Inseong with two fingers. Inseong smiled lightly at him, shaking his head. "Silly kid," he muttered.

Inseong walked around the room, gathering up all the tools he'd need to start the autopsy. Scalpels, stitches, etc. etc.

He put everything in a small, sterile metal tub, and carried it over to the autopsy table. He positioned the overhead light where he needed it, and got started.

He slipped on a pair of latex gloves, and sterilized the first scalpel. He slowly lowered the scalpel down to right below the dead man's sternum. He halted for a moment.

He had caught sight of the young man's face.

He had a long, narrow face, but it was handsome. His blue-black hair went perfectly with the pale, lucid complexion of a dead person.

Inseong wondered what his name was. He looked to only be maybe 24 or 25 years old. It was tragic, really, that someone so young and in their prime was involved in an accident like that.

Inseong looked at him with pity in his eyes. This guy was the same age as him, maybe younger.

He sighed, setting his scalpel back into position. He pressed on the skin lightly, drawing blood.

Inseong began to drag the knife down his abdomen in order to make a long vertical cut.

And suddenly, Inseong heard a loud gasp.

The body on the table shot into a sitting position, its eyes wildly darting around. Inseong scrambled backwards at the movement of the body. What was happening?

To say Inseong was surprised was an understatement. He was a doctor who dealt with dead things.

He didn't exactly specialize in living beings.

"Fuck, fuck, what's going on?" The supposedly dead man shuddered, his body shaking violently. The cut in the male's abdomen oozed sludgy, dark red blood. It was hardly even a liquid.

Inseong dashed over to him, and gently put a hand on his naked chest. "Shh...It's okay, just lay back down, I need to stitch you back up," Inseong said, rubbing his other hand soothingly on the male's back.

The male's eyelids fluttered as he turned his head to look at Inseong. "Why am I not dead?" He whispered, a pained expression painting his features.

"I think you are dead, but something's a little bit different," Inseong murmured, stroking the still alarmed male's hair in a calming manner.

Inseong struggled to get the anesthesia in a syringe as he was trying to keep the now undead man calm.

He finally managed to succeed, and pushed the plunger on the syringe. The anesthesia entered the male's veins quickly, but the effects didn't kick in.

Inseong thought it was just a little bit of a delayed reaction, but he waited nearly twenty minutes, and the man still wasn't drowsy whatsoever.

He came to the conclusion that anesthesia wasn't going to be an option.

"Okay, well, I can't numb the pain, because it's not working on you. So I'm just going to have to, uh, stitch you up while you're awake. Is that okay?" Inseong asked hesitantly.

The male nodded, as if he was already numb and couldn't feel a thing.

Inseong helped him lay down and settle into a comfortable position. "I'm going to start now, okay?" Inseong said. He picked up the needle, and pushed it through the man's waxy skin.

Inseong glanced at him, to see if he was in pain. But the male hadn't even flinched, his face blank and unemotional.

Inseong quickly finished, then bandaged up his midesection.

"Are you okay?" He asked. The male stared blankly at Inseong. "I don't feel anything," He said monotonously. "That's okay, it's alright. I'm sure it's just a side effect of something. Maybe a really effective fake death serum or something...?" Inseong tried to be reasonable.

He had a feeling in his gut, though, that told him it wasn't just a trick.

Inseong left the male staring into space, as he picked up his phone from his desk. He dialed the number on the sticky note he had placed on his desk.

It rang twice, before the recipient of the call picked up. "Yes, Detective Baek of the SPD speaking," The voice on the other end said.

"Juho, it's Inseong. I have some weird news for you..." Inseong said shakily. "Seong? You okay? What happened?" Juho asked worriedly.

"I-Well, you should just come down here yourself. I don't think I can explain it over the phone," Inseong explained. He didn't want to say anything over the phone. Whoever turned this man into something like this, was sure to be lurking somewhere close-by. He was something of a marvel, or a miracle even. He was dead, but he also wasn't.

The person who created something like that surely wouldn't just abandon their miracle of science after a failed attempt at getting rid of it.

At least, Inseong assumed that the man's murderer had to be the person who made him like this. He didn't think there was any other possibility; it just had to be.

Inseong glanced back at the male, who was sitting quietly on the table still. He had a distant look on his face, like he wasn't quite present in the real world at that moment.

Inseong heard a knock on the glass doors, and rushed over to quickly pull the blinds shut, before jerking the door open. "Get in here, now," Inseong said curtly.

Juho scurried in with a confused look on his features. "So what's going on, Inseong? Why'd you need me?" Juho queried.

Inseong took a deep breath, and pointed to the male sitting on the table, whom Juho had somehow failed to notice.

He was so oblivious, how in the world did he become a cop?

"What's...he doing? Isn't that the dead guy? Kim Youngbin?" Juho's jaw had dropped open, and he raised a shaky finger at the male. Youngbin was his name.

"Yes...this is what I wanted to talk to you about. He just woke up. I was starting the autopsy, and he just shot up like a bullet," Inseong explained.

"Oh my God, do you know why this is happening?" Juho asked, looking bewilderingly at Youngbin. Inseong shook his head in response. "No...I have no clue. All I know is that he can't feel pain, the anesthesia doesn't work on him, his heart isn't actually beating, and he doesn't need to breathe at all. He still tries to breathe, even though he doesn't need it," Inseong explained quietly.

Juho walked over to Youngbin, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Youngbin, do you know what happened to you?" Juho asked.

Youngbin slowly brought his eyes to meet Juho's. "Is that my name?" He asked, sadness coating his voice thickly.

Inseong's heart was in his throat, and he felt a pang of sorrow shoot through him. He didn't even know his own name. "Oh...well, I've never had...a name..." Youngbin mumbled. "I was...0894. Subject 0894," He said, his voice cracking.

Inseong stared at him in disbelief. So he did remember something.

"Youngbin, you can tell us what happened to you. We just want to help," Inseong said, looking at him in the eyes seriously. Youngbin stared at the floor, his shoulders slumped.

"I've been in a weird, terrifying place for ten years. I...I don't remember anything from the previous 14 years of my life," Youngbin explained, his eyes glazed over and sorrowful. Inseong and Juho looked at each other. Juho then took out his notebook and a pen, preparing to write down every detail that Youngbin uttered.

"They-I think they did experiments on me-," Youngbin began, before choking on his last words. His hands trembled, causing him to wrap his arms around himself to prevent himself from shaking anymore. "I was constantly surrounded by bright lights, always shining down on me. And a white room. I was-I...I always slept in the white room. I never left. The only times I was allowed to leave was for food," He said. A look of pain was etched onto his face.

Inseong nodded as Juho continued to scribble. "It's okay, Youngbin, you don't have to continue. It's okay," Inseong murmured, rubbing his back in a circular motion.

Youngbin swallowed thickly, before opening his mouth to speak again, "I finally escaped, after years of planning. I had memorized all the exits, the ways they took me when we went to get our measly meals, and the times when the guards switched shifts. I had finally done it..." Youngbin's eyes welled with tears, and he put a hand over his mouth.

"But they came after me...I had no idea where I was going, I was just wandering around the city. And they found me...they chased me to the edge of a building and-," Youngbin let out a sob of terror. His eyes flitted around wildly as his mind recounted his last moments of "living".

"Hey, Youngbin, calm down. They're not here right now, it'll be okay," Inseong cooed, trying to appease the navy-haired male. He was still visibly shaken up and scared, but he slowly became calmer.

"Okay, thank you, Youngbin. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, but you're in good hands now. So don't worry, Inseong here will take care of you!" Inseong whipped his head around to face Juho. "Say what now?" Inseong said, his fierce gaze trained on Juho. Juho laughed heartily and grinned at Inseong.

"He's staying with you! At least, until we catch the culprits. We can't just have a dead man walking around among the living, so you can watch him," Juho said, his eyes twinkling deviously. "Baek Juho, I am going to strangle you," Inseong growled, stretching his hands towards Juho's neck.

"Woah woah woah there, Mr. Feisty! I'm innocent, I'm innocent!" Juho screeched, jumping out of Inseong's reach.

"Get back here!" Inseong yelled as he began chasing Juho around in circles in the morgue. "This isn't very professional of you, my dear Inseong! Please, have mercy on poor little Juho!" Juho pleaded in a mocking, sarcastic tone. He laughed when Inseong's face contorted into a grimace. "Ugh, Juho, you know why I don't like living with oth-," Inseong began.

Then, Youngbin let out a laugh as well. His mouth curved up into a smile, his thin pink lips making a squished heart shape. His wide eyes were little crescents as he continued to giggle at Juho and Inseong's antics.

Inseong had stopped everything. He wanted to freeze this moment in time.

Because that laugh, and that smile, were the most beautiful things he had ever witnessed.

\- - -

One week had passed since Youngbin had "risen from the dead" and began staying at Inseong's small apartment.

Youngbin basically had no idea how the modern world worked, after ten years of being imprisoned. Inseong was getting increasingly frustrated with the navy-haired male, but he was trying to keep his lid on. He was doing his best to accommodate the childish 24 year old, because he really didn't want to see him in any kind of suffering, after all he'd already been through.

"Hey, Inseong, what kind of gaming console is this? How does it work?" Youngbin's voice sounded from the living room as Inseong sat at his desk, perusing some old case files.

"What? It doesn't matter, just don't touch anything," Inseong yelled back at him. If that boy broke his XBOX One, Inseong would have to actually do an autopsy on Youngbin.

Suddenly, Inseong heard Youngbin screech. Inseong shot out of his desk chair and into the living room, to see Youngbin sitting in front of his TV. Smoke was wafting out of the XBOX in front of him.

Youngbin turned to look at Inseong, a frown wobbling on his face. "Shit, In-Inseong...I think I broke it..." He sniffed, and went to pick up the smoking metal box. "Don't tou-!" Inseong started, but it was too late. Youngbin had already taken the hot XBOX into his hands, and was staring at Inseong with a quizzical look on his face. "-ch it," Inseong finished, a confused frown on his features.

He walked over to the navy-haired male and gently took the game console out of his cold hands. "Youngbin, that could have burned you, be more careful," Inseong sighed.

Youngbin was one to act very naive sometimes, never thinking the smallest things through. It constantly kept Inseong on his toes, even if Youngbin wasn't hurt very easily.

That was something Inseong had discovered about Youngbin in the past week. He could get hurt, but it would have almost no effect on him. Youngbin's hands weren't even scalded a tiny bit from the heat just now.

The other day, Inseong made him help cut vegetables for dinner, and Youngbin had somehow managed to slice a huge gash in his hand. Inseong had rushed to make sure he was okay, only to find that the blood wasn't even seeping out of the wound.

It was congealed, almost like a solid, not flowing in any way like normal blood would. Youngbin didn't register any pain from it either, which wasn't too odd, considering all his nerves should be dead.

But nothing about Youngbin really made any sense. His blood wasn't liquid, he didn't feel pain, but his brain had to be working for him to even be moving. His heart had to be pumping, but it wasn't. None of the pieces fit, so how was this man still alive?

Inseong's profession made him doubt everything. A person with these symptoms and conditions couldn't be living; so why was Youngbin?

Inseong sighed deeply, and turned to look at Youngbin's beaming face. "Just be more careful, okay, Youngbin?" He said, taking hold of Youngbin's chin. The male's dark chocolate colored eyes sparkled as Inseong stared at him.

"Heh," Youngbin giggled, showing his cute, squishy heart-shaped smile again.

And in that moment, Inseong swore he felt his heart skip a beat. A warm, fuzzy feeling erupted in his chest, and he couldn't let go of Youngbin's chin.

"Seong-Seong, you okay?" Youngbin asked worriedly. Inseong's breath hitched at the affectionate nickname.

He couldn't hold himself back anymore. He leaned in, his hand sliding behind Youngbin's head and holding it gently.

His lips grazed Youngbin's before he captured them in his own. Inseong kissed him softly, hoping that all of his newfound feelings for the navy-haired male could be conveyed.

Inseong couldn't feel Youngbin responding to him, so he pulled away. Inseong was blushing profusely, his ears and cheeks red as roses.

He couldn't look Youngbin in the eyes, for fear that he would be shot down. "I'm-I'm sorry," He said, his voice quiet, his bottom lip slightly trembling.

Inseong got up and ran to his bedroom, leaving an utterly bewildered Youngbin sitting on the floor, XBOX still in hand.

\- - -

Youngbin ran his thumb over his lips. What had just happened?  _'Well, Inseong kissed you, is what happened, you dumbass,'_  Youngbin thought, throwing insults at himself for being stupid and unresponsive to Inseong.

Youngbin was just startled, that was it.

After all, Inseong had stolen Youngbin's very first kiss.

Youngbin felt warm at the thought of Inseong. He was the only one who seemed to care about him, day after day. Youngbin felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he mulled over the kiss.

And he realized, after much thought, that the way his un-beating heart felt wasn't just some weird occurrence.

He liked the way Inseong's lips felt on his own. He liked the way Inseong stared into his eyes before leaning in, ever so slowly.   
  
  


He wanted to kiss Inseong again.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Inseong had rushed to his bedroom after the 'incident' with Youngbin. He slammed the door shut and slid down to the floor.

He put his head in his hands, cursing at himself silently.

_'Why are you so fucking stupid? Why do you always have to ruin things? This is why you shouldn't have let Juho do this, you should have told him no.'_

Inseong felt a tear threatening to slip down his cheek, but he wiped it away before it could fall.

Inseong was gay, that was for sure. That's why he didn't want Youngbin to stay with him. He didn't want to fall in love with him.

The last time he fell in love, he ended up dangling at the precipice of a cliff. His heart shattered and his feelings squashed, Inseong told himself he wouldn't do it again.

He wouldn't make the mistake of thinking someone loved him as much as he loved them. That was the fatal mistake he always made, the one that always left him broken, and bruised, and utterly helpless inside.

Inseong ran a hand through his auburn-brown locks, sighing deeply. He hauled himself off the ground and crawled under the covers of his bed, falling quickly into a restless slumber.

\- - -

Youngbin slowly approached Inseong's door, slightly apprehensive but also determined.

He pushed the door open quietly, to see the sleeping figure of Inseong curled up on the mattress.

Youngbin creeped over to the bed and sat down lightly. He peered at the peaceful face of a sleeping Inseong. Inseong looked beautiful when he slept, Youngbin noted.

His auburn hair stuck up in places and he breathed softly, his pink lips parted slightly.

Youngbin moved to caress Inseong's hair, when he suddenly heard a loud crash.

He whipped around. The sound came from the living room. Did something fall over? Youngbin glanced at Inseong, who had begun to stir at the sound of the ruckus.

Youngbin rose from the bed  **(dead)** , glancing around himself cautiously. He padded into the living room quietly, trying not to make a sound. Youngbin surveyed the room, his eyes darting back and forth, until they rested on the broken window in the corner. Shattered glass was strewn about the hardwood flooring, it seemed to be everywhere.

Youngbin approached the window, not even avoiding the glass, because he knew he wouldn't feel it cutting into his skin anyways. He peered out the window to see the street below. He didn't see a figure anywhere, only the dark shadows cast by the houses.

As Youngbin pulled his head back inside, a clothed hand covered his mouth. Youngbin wished he could say his heart was pounding with fear, but it wasn't beating at all. Youngbin panicked as the man took hold of his arms as well, keeping his mouth covered still.

Youngbin bit the man's hand, hard. He wanted to scream for Inseong to come and save him. He didn't want to be sent back to that horrid place, where they practically tortured him every day.

He opened his mouth to yell, when he saw something shiny glint in his periphery. "Inse-!" He had already begun to scream, but he finally noticed what it was that was shining.

Youngbin's eyes widened at the sight of the long knife. It looked as if it could cut clean through a bone, it was so sharp. Youngbin knew it wouldn't be able to harm him, but it would most definitely hurt Inseong.

So, Youngbin clamped his jaw shut, and let the man tie him up. Hot tears sprung to his eyes as he tried not to give a fleeting look at Inseong's bedroom door, in order to not give away the fact that Inseong was still in there.

_'Inseong, I'm sorry...goodbye.'_

\- - -

Inseong opened his eyes to the murky darkness of his room. His stomach tightened as an apprehensive and worried feeling came over him.

Something was wrong.

Inseong stood up and walked out of his room. "Youngbin? Where are you?" Inseong called softly.

"Youngbin?" Inseong entered the living room quietly, his feet lightly tapping against the hardwood.

Inseong put a hand on the couch, looking around the room worriedly. Youngbin was nowhere to be seen. "Youngbin, are you here?" Inseong yelled.

"Youn-..." Inseong faltered when he saw it. The shattered glass littered about the floor, some of it stained a dark, rusty red.

A harsh wind blew, bringing goosebumps to Inseong's flesh. Inseong dropped to his knees, staring blankly at the broken window. Something inside him felt like it had snapped.

Inseong suddenly sprang to his feet, glancing around wildly. He ran to the kitchen, the bathroom, the other bedrooms, yelling for Youngbin.

His throat felt constricted and his head was pounding from worry. Where could Youngbin have gone? He didn't know his way around here.

Was it because Inseong kissed him? Was he disgusted? No...the broken window proved that something had happened.

Inseong stopped running, his chest heaving. He pulled out his phone and shakily clicked on Juho's number.

 _Ring. Ring. Ri-_ "Hello?" A sleepy voice answered. "Juho, please, you have to help me! Y-Youngbin is gone and I think someone took him. I don't know where he went and there's broken glass and blood and it's most definitely Youngbin's because it's solid and dark and I-" Inseong choked on his words, a tear slipping down his cheek. It was all his fault.

"Slow down, Inseong. Shh...it's alright. Calm down, it'll be okay. We'll find him," Juho said, trying to soothe Inseong in his panicked state.

Inseong took a couple deep breaths before replying, "How, Juho? How are we going to find him?"

"Don't you remember? I asked you to put that tracking chip in him before you took him home. I can just ask Youngkyun to track him. He's a genius, you know. He'll easily be able to find Youngbin," Juho said, his voice strong and reassuring.

Inseong stared at the wall dumbly for a second. How could he forget about the tracking chip? He put it in Youngbin himself.

"Okay, let's go then," Inseong said, grabbing his coat and heading out the door.

He was going to save Youngbin, no matter what.

\- - -

_Slap!_

"You little bitch! You thought you could run off like that and survive? The likes of you!?" The man scoffed, tipping Youngbin's chin up with his finger.

"Oh, no. You survived, but you didn't. We made you suffer the worst consequences- being neither dead nor alive." The man grinned wickedly, adjusting his white lab coat. "You'll never escape, 0894..."

With that, the man left, leaving his cronies to guard Youngbin.

Youngbin hurt all over. They had punished him for hours, with tools they said would actually affect him. Youngbin didn't believe them at first, he thought nothing could harm him; he was wrong.

He sat through agonizing pain and torture. His head felt like it had daggers shoved through it, his whole body seemed heavy and unmovable.

Youngbin just wanted it to be over already. He didn't want to suffer anymore. Living like this, was hell.

\- - -

Youngbin's head lolled to the side, his consciousness beginning to slip away after another bout of beatings.

And suddenly, the white-coated man was thrown to the floor. Men in dark blue uniforms marched in, toting hand guns- all aimed at the man in the lab coat.

The facilities' own guards raised their weapons, pointing them at the uniformed men. "Who are you and what business do you have being here?!" One of them shouted.

Pushing through the men dressed in blue came another figure. His auburn-brown locks were tousled and his eyes looked red and puffy. He didn't falter in his steps, though. He strongly made his way towards the guards, as if he wasn't afraid at all.

"I've come to get him," He said, his puffy but determined eyes resting on the guard who had spoken.

"I apologize, but I can't let you do that," the guard replied gruffly. He remained stoic and held his ground.

And then the beautiful, auburn haired male pulled out a pistol, and he shot the guard in the leg. "That's too bad, because when I'm in love, I get very possessive."

Youngbin stared at the male, his eyes wide and shiny.

"Inseong..." he breathed, his voice shaky and thin. Inseong smiled softly at him.

"Hey, Youngbin, I've come to rescue you." Inseong continued to point the gun at the guards. "I want all of you to move, right now, or I will take you out. And if you dare raise a hand against me, every one of the fine officers here will make you look like Swiss cheese," Inseong growled, his eyes burning.

Inseong took a step towards Youngbin. The guards all stiffened. "Lower your weapons, now," Inseong commanded.

No one moved. They stayed stalk still. Inseong whipped around, and shot the man lying on the floor in the leg again.

He screamed in pain, clutching his leg as bright red blood streamed through his fingers.

All the weapons clattered to the floor, knives and guns alike. "Good. Now why don't you fine men go and let our officers tie you up, yes? Wonderful," Inseong smirked.

The men slinked over to the police and allowed them to handcuff them.

Youngbin looked at Inseong with awe. He sure was scary when he was angry. Inseong strode over to Youngbin, taking long strides.

"Youngbin," Inseong murmured, throwing his arms around him. "Youngbin, I'm so glad you're okay."

Youngbin beamed, showing his squishy smile. "Thank you for saving me, Seong Seong." Youngbin nuzzled his head in the crook of Inseong's neck.

Inseong smiled widely. He placed a hand on Youngbin's head, stroking his hair softly.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hadn't."


	9. Deep Waters (Keo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehwan wanted revenge on the merman that took his brother. The one he finds may be too feisty for him to handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another favorite, but the ending is a little eh

Jaehwan leaned over the side of the ship, gazing into the shimmering sea. The wind ruffled his ebony hair.

Jaehwan loved the feeling of the wind in his hair and closed his eyes, breathing in the salty air. 

"Captain!" A voice called him from the top deck. Jaehwan opened his eyes begrudgingly and walked up to the crew member that had called him. 

"What is it?" Jaehwan asked her, running his fingers through his hair. 

"We're entering the rumored mermen territory. Should we change course or keep going?" the girl, Hana, asked her captain.  

Jaehwan smirked, "We'll keep sailing. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to catch one of the bastards."

Hana nodded and continued steering the ship forward. Jaehwan knew that the damned sirens wouldn't be able to keep away their curiosity and would wander over to the boat to explore. That's when he'd snatch one. 

Jaehwan was determined to finally catch one of them. The mermen were rumored to have a feminine-like beauty to them and could capture the hearts of both men and women alike. Jaehwan was curious about the mysterious creatures, but he also resented them.

They were secretly ferocious under all the glittering skin and pastel scales. Jaehwan knew. 

He was 13 when his brother was dragged out to sea by one of the monsters. Jaehwan watched as the water turned red with his brothers blood and the waves washed away his remains. Jaehwan vowed to take revenge on the one who had committed the act.

He was going to make sure that happened today, while he had the chance.

\- - -

"Sir! A couple have been spotted near the hull!" A tall male named Hyungwon called, his voice excited. 

Jaehwan grinned at the news and rushed to give orders to his crew. "Get the nets, the spears! Tonight...the hunt will begin," Jaehwan said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. 

HIs second-in-command, Ravi, hurried to talk to his friend. "Jaehwan, are you sure we should do this? I'm sure none of them are responsible for...you know..." Ravi said, tugging on Jaehwan's sleeve worriedly. 

Jaehwan just shook him off. "It doesn't matter, Ravi! If it's the one who killed Minhyuk or not, it doesn't make a difference. I will capture one no matter what," Jaehwan growled, stalking to the side of the boat with a spear in hand. 

Ravi looked at his best friend with sadness. He hoped Jaehwan would change his mind about this, because Ravi knew he would regret it later. 

"Lower the net!" Jaehwan shouted as he held a spear in the water. He must have caught something. The arm holding the tool was jerking around as if something on the other end was struggling desperately. 

The crew members struggled to lower the net down into the dark water on the orders of their captain.

"Pull it this way! I've got one snagged. Hurry, before it breaks free," Jaehwan barked, telling his crew what they needed to do. The crew pulled the net to the side and Jaehwan dragged his spear at the same time. 

"Okay, everybody help hoist it up onto the deck. And I mean everybody!" Jaehwan shouted, holding the spear tightly. 

"One, two...three, pull!" Everyone pulled with all their strength at the count of three. 

After ten minutes of yelling and pulling, the heavy net collapsed on the wooden deck of the pirate ship. Everybody wiped the sweat off their brows and dropped the ropes of the net on the floor.

The object in the net was flailing around wildly. It was a mass of pale, shimmery skin and scales. Jaehwan stared with wide eyes at the being he had captured.

All of the crew were gathered around the aquatic monster lying on the slippery wood. 

Jaehwan held up an arm, keeping them from walking any closer to the creature. "Wait, let me untangle it first," He murmured, taking another tentative step toward it. 

Jaehwan pulled the first layer of net off the top of the body and threw it to the side. The merman was facing down, its tail flopping around wildly. Jaehwan yanked the net out from underneath the merman and let him hit the deck **(lol).**

Jaehwan reached out a hand to touch the shining skin and felt his own skin sting painfully. The merman had scratched him with its sharp nails and had turned his head toward Jaehwan. 

Jaehwan's eyes met the sharp gaze of the aquatic man and he did a double-take. The merman's eyes were a bright green color mixed with flecks of blue. They were honestly frightening, yet Jaehwan became entranced with the stunning irises. 

Jaehwan snapped out of his reverie and looked at the merman fully. His pale skin glowed and his hair was blond and silky-looking even when wet. Jaehwan's eyes traveled to the tail of the merman.

His tail was iridescent and was painted with shades of dark and pale blue. The sunlight reflected off the glittering scales and the colors seemingly shifted. 

Jaehwan was dumbfounded at the mystical beauty of the creature and just looked at him for a long time. The whole crew stared too; everybody was transfixed. 

Jaehwan made an attempt to reach forward again, when he realized that the merman was clutching its neck and its mouth was opening and closing. He looked as if he was choking. His bright eyes looked at Jaehwan desperately, like a silent plea for help. 

"Wa...ter..." a raspy, but somehow still melodic voice broke everyone's silence. Ravi was the first one to stand up and look around. 

He shook Jaehwan's shoulder urgently. "Jaehwan, he won't be able to survive without water! Do we have anything we can put him in?" Ravi begged Jaehwan, looking at the gasping merman with worry.

His pointed teeth glinted as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water- literally. Jaehwan's eyes widened with realization. 

"There should be an empty barrel in the store room. Someone go grab it and fill it with water!" Jaehwan ordered, moving to pick up the merman in his arms. 

His arm encircled the merman's shoulders and the other pulled up his lower half so he was holding him bridal-style. Jaehwan stood up slowly so to not drop the creature, who was a lot heavier than he anticipated. 

The crew then raced in with a wooden barrel sloshing with clear water. Jaehwan staggered over and dropped the creature in the tub ungracefully. 

He let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding in. Wiping the sweat off his brow, Jaehwan knelt down to look at the merman again. 

His blond head of hair was submerged under water and small bubbles rose to the surface. Jaehwan tapped his head with a finger, wanting him to come above the water. 

The blond head poked out of the water, his eyes level with the water. The green and blue irises stared at Jaehwan menacingly, as if the merman was trying to be intimidating. 

Jaehwan smirked, flicking the shimmering skin of the merman's forehead. "That scary look isn't gonna work on me, sweetie," Jaehwan drawled, staring right into the those infuriated eyes. 

"Tell me, do you have a name?" Jaehwan asked, grabbing the merman by his blond locks and pulling him up. The merman scoffed, jutting his chin out at Jaehwan. 

"It's Taekwoon, you bastard pirate," he spat, his brows wrinkled in anger. Jaehwan laughed. 

"You can speak Korean? That's interesting," Jaehwan mused, raising an eyebrow. 

"We speak more languages than you pathetic humans ever could.  _You're going to fucking pay for this,"_ Taekwoon spoke, speaking an unknown language in the last sentence. Jaehwan frowned in displeasure and jerked the merman back violently. 

"Put him below deck, somewhere where he can't see the ocean," Jaehwan told Hana before stalking away to his quarters.

\- - -

 Jaehwan was starting to have second thoughts about capturing the belligerent merman. He was stubborn, never speaking unless spoken to, and when he did, he was retorting to things Jaehwan said to him. 

He had a smart mouth and a temper that couldn't be calmed. Jaehwan was beginning to feel exhausted every time he went to talk to the merman. 

Jaehwan sighed. He had to find out if Taekwoon knew the merman that had killed Minhyuk. This was his only chance to figure out the truth, because he probably wasn't going to be back in mermen territory anytime soon. 

Jaehwan wanted Taekwoon to help him catch the actual killer of his brother. He didn't really want to harm Taekwoon. To be honest, Jaehwan quite liked the merman, even if his personality was tiring. 

Jaehwan found himself looking forward to each meeting with Taekwoon in the coming days. He was constantly entranced by those startling green irises and silky blond hair. He liked being in the company of the temper-mental merman but hated dealing with the consequences of his out-bursts. 

Jaehwan walked below deck to visit the merman once again and was immediately greeted with a bowl being thrown at his head. 

"Woah there, Taek, let's try to not kill me with flying tableware," Jaehwan said, shaking his head. 

Taekwoon was sitting in his tub of water, his tail stretched out as far is it could and hanging over the edge. 

"You deserve it, I've been super sore cramped up in here," Taekwoon grumbled, crossing his arms. 

"Sorry, but you know I won't let you go until you talk to me," Jaehwan sighed, sitting down on a chair next to Taekwoon's tub. 

"Ugh, what was it you wanted to know again?" Taekwoon asked, sinking down into the water so only his head was above the surface. 

"12 years ago, a boy was killed near Hwaseong in the Yellow Sea by a merman. Do you know of this incident?" Jaehwan looked at Taekwoon, a serious expression on his features. 

Taekwoon looked at his tail as he thought. 

"I...have heard of it," Taekwoon said after a moment. He raised his eyes to meet Jaehwan's hopeful coffee irises. 

"But, Jaehwan, you have to understand. We merfolk have a sort of rite of passage for certain things. The only reason a merman would kill a human nowadays...is if they were completing a rite of passage." Taekwoon explained, looking at the dark water he sat in. 

Jaehwan looked at Taekwoon with curiosity. "What is it? What could possibly require a merfolk to kill a human?" 

Taekwoon hesitated.

"Well...its for those that become the king's guards. I shouldn't be telling you this, because only a select few can become one of the king's guards. All I know is that that's the requirement, and that new guards are chosen every fifteen years," Taekwoon said, rubbing his hands together nervously. 

Jaehwan nodded with understanding. He understood that it was just something required of a select few. 

But it still made him angry inside. His brother had to die just so a merman could get a super special job. 

"Jaehwan, I think you should give up on this revenge of sorts. You'll never find him, because he never leaves the king's side. Until he's discharged, you have no chance." Taekwoon tried convincing Jaehwan to let it go. 

Jaehwan nodded, somehow feeling like a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders. Maybe he felt better knowing that his brother wasn't just some unnecessary sacrifice. He still missed his brother and wished he wasn't gone, but maybe it was time to let his "revenge" go. 

Jaehwan got off his chair and went to Taekwoon's side, smiling thankfully. 

"Thanks, Taekwoon. It was a big help."

Taekwoon turned his head, bright green and blue irises focused on coffee ones. He gave a small smile back. 

"Your'e welco-"

Jaehwan's lips were on his, kissing the merman softly.

Taekwoon's eyes were wide with surprise at the man in front of him. But he didn't push away and melted under him instead. 

He slowly kissed back, moving his lips in sync with Jaehwan's. 

They kept kissing until they were both out of breath, and Jaehwan pulled away reluctantly. 

"Your'e actually a great kisser, fish face."

"Shut up."


	10. Stars (JooKyun)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jooheon runs into a mysterious, blue-haired man at the gas station he works at.

Jooheon sat in the spinny office chair behind the counter, his feet propped up on the tabletop. His fingers twirled the stick of the lollipop in his mouth as he sat leisurely.

It was late at night at the gas station where Jooheon worked. 3 a.m. wasn't a time where many people came wanting to get their gas filled up. That's why Jooheon liked working the super late night shift. He didn't really have to do much except tend to the few customers that showed up and clean up a little bit.

Jooheon was about to doze off when he saw a pair of headlights shine on the store. A car had finally pulled in. Jooheon set his feet on the ground and got ready for the customer.

This gas station required the person to actually pay inside, which wasn't really the case with most gas stations.

Jooheon didn't really like this feature because it meant he had to deal with all the crazies that came in in the early morning hours. Jooheon sighed and turned on the computer, patiently waiting for the person to walk inside.

The bell on the little gas station building dinged, alerting Jooheon to the customer's presence.

"Welcome," Jooheon said, trying to sound somewhat pleasant.

A young man walked up to the counter, fishing his wallet out of his back pocket. Jooheon clicked on the screen, pulling up the pump that the man had been at and how much he owed.

"$15, please," Jooheon told him.

The man put his wallet down and looked at Jooheon straight in the eyes. His eyes were dark, dark, brown. Almost black, but not quite.

Jooheon gulped, looking back at him with wide eyes. "Um..." Jooheon murmured.

The dark eyed man smirked, pulling his hood down. His hair was dark blue and messy, falling over his forehead.

"Hey, hot stuff, why don't you pay the last two dollars for me? I'm short on cash..."

Jooheon felt his cheeks burning red already at the words 'hot stuff'. He nervously ran a hand through his blond hair.

"I'm sorry, uh, sir, I can't do that," Jooheon said, tearing his eyes away from the handsome man.

The man's smirk fell from his mouth. He tossed some money on the counter and began walking towards the door.

Jooheon snatched up the bills, counting them in his head. His head snapped up to look at the man who was about to walk out.

He turned and smiled at Jooheon, revealing a little dent in his smooth cheek.

"Keep the change," he called, and then he was gone.

Jooheon stared at his hands, dumbfounded.

The man had just given him $400...in hard cash.

\- - -

Jooheon walked home from the store a couple days later. He hadn't spent the cash he had been given, putting it in his savings rather than splurging on something.

Jooheon still wanted to go to college, so he was trying to save up as much money as he possibly could. Every penny that he got, he put in his savings. Except he had to leave some out, to pay his rent and buy food and other things.

Jooheon was humming as he walked home today, carrying his drug store bag with shampoo and shaving cream. He had finally run out and needed to restock.

Jooheon was walking on the sidewalk next to the street, his earbuds in and his free hand in his pocket.

A ring sounded from behind Jooheon and he turned around to see someone on a bicycle coming towards him.

He must not have heard them the first time because of his earbuds, so he quickly tried to move out of the way.

He backed up too fast and his foot slipped on the curb. Jooheon began to fall, right into oncoming traffic. A car was still speeding down the street and honked their horn furiously as Jooheon fell.

Jooheon realized what was happening too late, so he just shut his eyes as tight as he could and let it happen.

He thought his life was ending and he'd no longer be able to achieve his dream and he wouldn't go to college.

But the moment Jooheon was expecting to come didn't. He felt his wrist being grabbed and he was jerked out of the way.

He landed softly in someone's embrace, his head resting on their chest. Jooheon opened his eyes and looked up to see the face of the person who saved him.

Jooheon's eyes widened as he saw dark blue hair and deep brown eyes staring right back at him.

"Looks like we meet again, hot stuff."

\- - -

Jooheon fidgeted as he wrapped his hands around his coffee cup. He had gone to get coffee with the handsome blue haired man, who had coincidentally given him money and saved his life.

"So, what's your name?" The male asked, taking a sip of his own drink.

"Uh, Jooheon," He replied, eyes focused on the cream swirling in his coffee.

"Ah, I'm Changkyun. It's nice to finally know your name, cutie," The man, Changkyun, said, smiling lightly.

Jooheon nodded, blushing.

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving me. And for the money, which was seriously way too much. Are you sure you don't want it back?" Jooheon said quickly, worried that Changkyun would need the money.

"Nope, it's all yours. And you're welcome. I didn't really want to see you get flattened like a pancake out there," Changkyun chuckled.

Jooheon let out a laugh as a smile spread across his face.

"You're pretty adorable, you know," Changkyun said, smiling softly at Jooheon's laughing self.

Jooheon stopped laughing and took another sip of his coffee.

"Still, thank you, Changkyun. I'm glad I'm not a pancake right now." Jooheon pulled his jacket on, getting ready to leave. He still had some things to do today.

"Okay, well, if you really want to thank me, meet me at the park on the 5th, at 8:00. Okay?" Changkyun said, pointing at Jooheon for confirmation.

Jooheon looked at him for a moment before nodding that he'd be there.

"Okay. I'll see you then, Changkyun," Jooheon said, before he left the coffee shop to walk home.

\- - -

Two weeks later, on the fifth, and Jooheon hadn't seen Changkyun since their last meet-up. He was kind of giddy to see him again.

There was something about the blue haired male that he liked, and made him want to see Changkyun.

Jooheon smiled as he thought about Changkyun while he pulled his shoes on. Jooheon made sure he had his keys and his coat before he left for the park at 7:30.

The sky was already getting dark as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The clouds in the sky looked pink and purple in the sunset and Jooheon smiled at the sight.

He always loved when the sky changed colors.

Jooheon arrived at the park ten minutes early, so he sat on a swing and watched the sky get progressively darker.

"Jooheon," a smooth voice said, jerking Jooheon's attention away from the dark sky.

Changkyun stood behind Jooheon at a distance, smiling at him. Jooheon returned the smile and walked over to Changkyun.

"Hey," he said, his lips quirking up and his dimples making an appearance.

"Follow me," Changkyun said. He grabbed Jooheon's hand in his own and started pulling him along.

Jooheon was surprised at the sudden contact but didn't pull his hand away. He let Changkyun drag him up a large hill.

Jooheon complained on the way up the hill.

"Changkyun, my legs are tired~ How much longer are we gonna walk?" Jooheon whined.

"We're almost there," Changkyun replied, laughing.

Jooheon pouted and tightened his hand around Changkyun's.

"Hey, we're here," Changkyun said.

Jooheon looked around, not seeing anything.

Changkyun laughed and pointed at the sky, saying, "Look up!"

Jooheon looked up.

He gasped, putting a hand over his mouth in awe.

"Woah, Changkyun..."

The sky was splattered with bright stars. There were so many and the sky was so bright and Jooheon's eyes were shining like the stars themselves.

"Here, sit down," Changkyun said, patting the soft grass that they stood on.

Jooheon sat, still gazing at the masterpiece the sky displayed above him.

"Changkyun, how did you know I liked things like this?" Jooheon said, only taking his eyes off the sky to look at the equally beautiful male beside him.

"We went to high school together, but I guess you don't remember," Changkyun said, smiling wistfully.

"Really? I remember most of my classmates. How come I don't remember you?" Jooheon asked, crinkling his eyebrows together.

"Ah, well, I was in the grade below you," Changkyun explained, smiling.

"Oh! Lim Changkyun! I remember you now!" Jooheon said, pointing a finger at Changkyun in surprise.

"Yup. That's me. I just remember you were an astronomy nerd. I always heard you talking about stuff like that, or music."

Jooheon nodded. "Yeah, it really fascinates me. The stars are just one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I can't stop looking at them."

"And I can't stop looking at you," Changkyun said, his eyes trained on Jooheon.

Jooheon looked at him with wide eyes.

Changkyun laughed at his expression.

"I've liked you for a long time, Jooheon. I can never take my eyes off of you," Changkyun said, taking Jooheon's hand and running his thumb over Jooheon's knuckles.

"Changkyun..." Jooheon murmured, looking at their intertwined hands.

"You're like the stars for me, Jooheon."


	11. Blood Lust (BangHim)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Himchan didn't expect a hot, blue-eyed vampire to shoot out of the ground and turn him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one-shot is what inspired my work Bloody Passion! the B.A.P vampire-verse is fun to write!

Himchan carried the lilies in his arms gingerly, his heart weighed down with sadness.

He looked at the sheet of paper in his hand that told him where the grave marker was located in the cemetery.

HImchan followed the little signs and finally found himself at his friend's grave. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at the dull gray stone.

Jongup now lay under the pounds of soil, his body decaying and rotting. Only bones would be left behind in a matter of months. Himchan's head dropped as he sniffled, trying to keep the tears in. It had already been half a year, but Himchan missed his best friend like hell.

Himchan wiped his face with his sleeve and put the lilies in front of the headstone. He closed his eyes and hoped Jongup was better off, wherever he was now.

As Himchan was getting up to leave, his eyes drifted to the haphazard grave next to Jongup's. The dirt was thrown on top of the hole messily as if the people burying the coffin didn't care about anything.

Himchan cocked his head in curiosity and looked at the headstone.

The words on the stone showed that the person buried there had died nearly twenty years ago. So why was the grave disturbed and unkempt? And there wasn't any grass growing on top of it either.

Himchan was very confused, but he decided to just brush it off. He stood up to leave.

And the next moment, Himchan nearly had a heart attack.

A hand had broken through the ground and was clawing at the air wildly.

Himchan scrambled backwards and fell on his butt, his eyes wide.

"OhhHHH MY GOD!" Himchan screamed.

A second hand burst through the ground and Himchan screamed again.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!"

Himchan sat there and watched as an arm emerged from the grave, and then the other arm followed.

The hands planted themselves on the ground and slowly, a body surfaced from underneath the piles of dirt. Himchan tried to keep himself from screaming again as he saw a fully grown man pull himself up.

HImchan's bewildered gaze followed the man as he stood at his full height. He was tall and lanky and stared down at Himchan with flaming blue eyes.

It was such an odd color of blue, like a mix between electric blue and sapphire. Just looking at his eyes instilled terror in Himchan and he couldn't tear his eyes away.

The man, creature, monster, or whatever he was, lurched forward faster than Himchan could register and was on top of him in seconds.

Himchan's back slammed into the ground and he felt the wind get knocked out of him. He gasped and desperately tried to pull in air.

The creature bent down and latched onto Himchan's neck with an animalistic ferocity.

"Ah, help-help me," Himchan cried out weakly, trying to pull the creature's head away from him.

Himchan could feel his blood trickling out and he began to feel limp.

"Please..." he whimpered as his head fell to the side.

The last thing he saw before his vision cut out, were those infuriated irises staring back at him.

\- - -

Himchan blinked groggily as he woke up. His nostrils were immediately hit with a putrid stench. He tried not to gag, it smelled like death and blood. The iron smell of blood was most prominent and it made Himchan feel dizzy.

Himchan tried to move but realized that both his arms and legs were chained up  **(freeze! armor down).** He jerked them weakly, not finding the strength to try and pull them off.

Suddenly, the door to the room he was in swung open and slammed against the wall with a clang.

"So, the redhead is finally awake..." A sickly sweet voice drawled in amusement. Himchan's eyes snapped up and took in the sight of a chocolate haired male.

He smirked and crouched down in front of Himchan.

"Look at those big doe eyes. No wonder Yongguk wanted to keep you," He said, giggling  mockingly.

Himchan opened his mouth to speak but started coughing violently. He clutched his throat in pain. It was burning, like acid had been poured down it.

"Oh, that's funny! Hey, you can't talk can you? Yongguk must have taken too much," He snickered, dragging a finger down the side of Himchan's face.

"Daehyun!" Another voice called scoldingly.

The one called Daehyun snapped his attention away from teasing Himchan and stood up quickly. A goofy grin spread across his face.

"Jae!" He flitted over to the side of the man who had stepped into Himchan's prison.

Daehyun wrapped his arms around the other's neck and pecked his cheek, a sly smirk replacing the grin.

Himchan stared at the pair in surprise.

"I see you staring at my Jae, don't even think about it redhead. He's mine," He said venomously, laying his head on Youngjae's shoulder.

Youngjae sighed, pressing a kiss on Daehyun's forehead before peeling the clingy male off of him.

"That's enough, Dae, go find the others and bring them to the meeting room," Youngjae said sternly.

"'Kay~" Daehyun cooed, before skipping off to do what he was told.

Himchan stared at the remaining man with fear glistening in his eyes.

Youngjae crouched down just like Daehyun had before, but instead pulled out a small bottle from his back pocket.

"This should help your throat. Drink it," Youngjae said and placed the black bottle in Himchan's palm.

Himchan glanced at it uneasily, not sure if he should drink it or not.

"Just do it, it's not going to hurt you or anything," Youngjae reassured with a nod.

Himchan hesitantly uncapped the bottle and swirled around the liquid inside. It was hard to tell what the substance looked like.

Himchan took a chance though, and dumped the liquid into his mouth. He swallowed.

He immediately dropped the bottle as he recognized the metallic taste of blood.

"What the fuck was that?" He screeched, kicking the bottle to the corner of the circular room.

"It was blood. Yongguk's blood, to be exact," Youngjae said with a knowing smile.

"What are you people?" Himchan asked, with a tremor in his voice.

Youngjae stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans.

"Well at least you can talk now," He mused, walking to the door.

He turned around and looked at Himchan one last time.

"We're vampires."

The door closed behind him and Himchan was left in utter shock.

\- - -

"Where's Yongguk?" Youngjae asked when he walked into the room.

Three heads snapped up at the sound of the vampire's voice.

"Oh, he's out gathering some bodies for tonight," A tall, pink and blond haired vampire said. He sat on the ripped up couch and examined his nails lazily.

"Okay. Did he say how many he was bringing back? He's gonna need a lot if he wants to feed this dumb kid he captured," Youngjae said after plopping down next to Daehyun. Daehyun crawled on his lap and rested his head against Youngjae's chest.

"Yongguk captured someone?" The male that was sitting on the ground picking at a dried corpse asked.

"Yeah. Some redhead he fed off as soon as he broke through his grave," Youngjae explained as he played with Daehyun's chocolate hair.

"A redhead?" Jongup asked confusedly, his hands freezing and leaving the decaying body.

"Mm."

"Hey, hey, can I play with him?!"

"Sure, Junhong. Don't mess him up too badly, Yongguk needs him alive." Youngjae dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Youngjae was the leader of the group of vampires. Out of all the members, Youngjae had been living as a vampire for the longest time. He'd been a vampire for almost 600 years . Youngjae had seniority, so the other members immediately appointed him to be in charge.

Youngjae wanted to refuse, but he simply couldn't. The other vampires would die off without a leader, so he decided to just accept it and try his best to protect them.

Yongguk was the most recent addition to their rowdy band of vamps. He had been Jongup's first victim, and first turn. That's how Yongguk became a vampire. He was turned by Jongup and then buried in a grave. Jongup purposely put him next to his own grave, so he could find him easier.

Youngjae didn't need another addition to the troublesome group, but that's what he was getting anyways.

Youngjae sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He could hear the screams of the redhead echo through the dark building as Junhong did who knows what to him.

"Go check on them," He said, closing his eyes.

"Okay!" Daehyun chirped, bouncing off the couch.

"No, no, Dae. Not you. Jongup, you go."

The blond haired vampire grimaced and kicked away a drained corpse. "You two better not be making out when I get back here," Jongup muttered.

"No promises!" Daehyun giggled.

\- - -

"Junhong!" Jongup called as he walked towards the prison.

"Uppie? Are you here to have fun with me?" Junhong's face was shrouded in darkness. He turned to look at Jongup, his blazing blue eyes the only thing that could be seen in the dark.

"He-help..." A voice croaked from behind Junhong's figure.

"Hey! I didn't say you could talk did I!?" Junhong shouted cutely, stomping a foot like a toddler who didn't get his way. He took the scissors he was holding and stabbed them into the body in front of him.

A weak scream exited the prisoner's throat as Junhong repeatedly stabbed the male's thigh.

Junhong giggled, "Isn't this fun?" When he was satisfied he stood and faced Jongup, a huge grin on his face. His teeth were stained red and his fangs poked his bottom lip.

"Take care of him for me, Uppie," he whispered, patting Jongup on the shoulder before walking out.

Jongup's eyes followed Junhong as he left. That crazy kid sure enjoyed some gruesome activities. They were vampires, after all.

Jongup let the prison door swing wide open, letting some light shine on the person that was slouched against the stone wall.

Jongup's eyes widened at the fluorescent red hair on his head.

His dark brown eyes were half closed and his chest rose and fell slowly.

"Hi...Himchan?" Jongup asked.

Himchan lifted his head and opened his eyes slowly. Blood trickled out of his nose as he coughed roughly.

"Why-Why do you know-" Himchan broke off in a coughing fit. Jongup looked down at him with sad eyes.

"Why do you know my name?" Himchan finally managed.

Jongup stepped into the light. A guilty smile spread across his face as he looked at his former best friend.

"Because it's me, Jongup."

\- - -

Himchan tried to make out the features of the person standing in front of him but his vision was blurry.

"Hi...Himchan?" Himchan heard the voice say his name in a questioning tone.

He didn't know how the vampire knew his name. At least, Himchan assumed he was a vampire, considering the other three were.

Himchan's head perked up at the sound of his name though and he felt a cough coming on.

"Why-Why do you know-" The cough building in the back of Himchan's throat tumbled out violently. Himchan could taste the irony liquid on his tongue as he almost coughed up his lungs.

That pink haired boy was rough and made sure Himchan suffered. His throat was so raw from screaming and he felt the urge for something he didn't know. He wanted it so badly, but he didn't know what it was.

Himchan tried to stop coughing and pushed out the words, "Why do you know my name?"

And then the figure stepped into the dull light given off from outside the room, and Himchan tried to make out his features.

"Because it's me, Jongup," The vampire said.

All of the sudden, Himchan's vision focused and his tired eyes rested on the face of his dead best friend.

"Jong...Jongup?" He murmured, looking at the sad smile plastered on Jongup's face.

"Yep. I'm a vampire now, and basically walking around as one of the living dead," Jongup said.

""Actually, aren't zombies the living dead?" Himchan asked.

The smile slipped off Jongup's face.

"Here you are, half-dead in a vampire nest, and you make dumb jokes," Jongup sighed, trying not to smack his head on a wall: repeatedly.

"Whoops," Himchan lightly laughed before breaking out into another round of coughs.

"You've been away from Yongguk too long," Jongup said, unchaining Himchan from the wall.

"Who is this Yongguk you all keep talking about?" Himchan rasped as he rubbed his wrists tenderly.

"Oh, he's the one who turned you into a vampire."

"Turned me into a - wait what!?" Himchan blubbered weakly.

"A vampire. He drank your blood, and then you drank his. I can tell, your eyes are slightly blue now. They'll be the same color as his once you rise," Jongup explained.

Himchan was at a loss for words. He was just trying to visit his friend, who turned out to be a vampire, and then he was turned into a vampire himself.

He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to be like this and he most certainly didn't want to be here. 

"I'm-I'm leaving," Himchan said quickly, trying to stand up. Jongup watched him carefully, waiting for him to stumble.

Himchan limped over to the door, his bleeding thigh burning with pain.

He was just about to exit when his legs gave out. But he didn't hit the floor.

Himchan looked up to see those electric blue eyes staring right back at him.

"And where do you think you're going?"

**(There's our main man, finally, lol)**

\- - -

Yongguk stood calmly with the red haired male in his arms. He shuddered and looked up.

His light blue eyes met electric blue ones and Himchan knew he had ever seen something so terrifyingly beautiful.

He shivered and instinctively huddled closer to Yongguk for warmth, even though he physically didn't have any. He was dead, after all.

"Come with me. Bye, Jongup," Yongguk said gruffly as he picked Himchan up.

Jongup opened his mouth to say something, but they were already gone.

"Where are you taking me?" Himchan asked, his arms clinging onto Yongguk for dear life.

Yongguk stayed silent and just dashed up a flight of stairs. He was moving very, very fast, faster than humanly possible.

Himchan supposed that was a perk of being a vampire: super speed.

Suddenly Himchan was being thrown onto a bed, where he landed softly. But the throw jolted his injured leg and he cried out in pain.

In an instant, Yongguk was on top of him, his blue eyes staring at Himchan.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a monotone voice.

"What's wrong? What the fuck do you think is wrong? I was chained in a dark, damp, dirty room for who knows how long, was threatened by a jealous vampire, tortured by an insane pink haired vampire, and even turned into one myself! Before this I didn't even know vampires existed! And you know what, I found out that my best friend isn't even dead, he's been turned too," Himchan yelled. All his feelings came out like a broken dam. It was all too much for him to take in and he didn't know what to do.

He suddenly felt like bursting into tears. He just wanted to go back home, he wanted to be away from all this insanity. Maybe it was all a dream. He hoped it was just a dream.

"I'm sorry," Yongguk apologized.

"What are you saying sorry for?" Himchan sniffed, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes so he wouldn't cry.

"It's my fault you're a vampire now."

"Ugh- Just- You can't take it back now, okay? It's too late for that," Himchan sighed. He coughed harshly, covering his mouth with his hand.

When he pulled it away, all he saw was blood.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yongguk asked again.

Himchan shook his head. "No...No, something's wrong-" He started coughing again, and this time he couldn't stop. More blood came out.

Yongguk watched as this transpired, quickly trying to think of a way to help him. Then an idea popped into his head.

He brought his wrist to his teeth and tore through the skin with the sharp fangs. Dark red blood welled up.

"Here, drink," Yongguk ordered, pressing his wrist to Himchan's mouth.

Himchan's eyelids fluttered and he wanted to resist, but his instincts kicked in. He sucked the blood greedily, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.

When Himchan finally unlatched his teeth, he felt drowsy. His eyes drooped and he fell forward, right into Yongguk's embrace.

\- - -

Himchan had been a vampire for five weeks. He had died two days after the incident with Yongguk, and he was buried in the cemetery just like the others.

Dying first was the only way Himchan would get better. He was informed that Yongguk's blood would only keep him alive and sane for a matter of days, so there was no point in even attempting to stay somewhat human.

So he just let it happen, and when he rose he felt stronger and a thousand times better. He wasn't as upset about being a vampire as he thought he'd be. It turned out to be not as bad as he thought.

Although one downside was that a certain dark haired, electric blue eyed vampire was creeping his way into Himchan's heart  **CREEPING IN YOUR HEART BABE).**

Himchan could stare at the handsome man for days. His figure, his eyes, his smooth skin, and his stunning, pointy toothed smile. The smile that was rare, but whenever it appeared, it would cause Himchan's heart to heart to erupt with happiness.

Himchan liked his strong and silent personality at first, and when he realized that Yongguk was actually a softie and not as mean and violent as he seemed, he fell for him even more.

Himchan's crush on Yongguk grew every day, to the point where he would blush every time the male entered the room.

He honestly didn't know what he was going to do.

Kim Himchan was hopelessly in love with Bang Yongguk.

 

 

 

\- - - 

 

 

 

  
  
  
**(four months later)**   
  
  


"Himchan."

Himchan whipped around at the sound of the deep, raspy voice and dropped the body he was holding.

"Ah, uh, Yongguk..." Himchan stammered. He kicked away the drained body of the human he was drinking from. "You scared me."

Yongguk sighed, resting his electric blue eyes on Himchan.

"Himchan you have to stop. That's the eighth person you've killed this week alone," Yongguk said, his voice frigid. Himchan knew that wasn't good. Yongguk closed his eyes in frustration. He was seconds away from losing it. Himchan had to tread carefully.

"I can't control it, Yongguk. Everytime I see someone, my blood lust goes on the fritz. I hate it, but once I start drinking, even if the blood lust has faded, I can't stop," Himchan explained, fro what felt like the millionth time.

He closed his eyes and pushed his red bangs out of his face.

"I know, but Himchan, I'm starting to hear rumors everytime I head into the town. This needs to stop, and soon," Yongguk said, softening his gaze a bit at the tired face of his partner.

"I'm sorry," Himchan whispered. He felt the itching feeling for blood rise in the back of his throat.

"It's back," Himchan said, his voice shaking. His hand flew to his throat and he tapped it incessantly. His eyes changed from a dull, icy blue color to a bright cerulean.

"Himchan?" Yongguk asked worriedly. He saw the red-head tremble and fall to his knees. Yongguk rushed over to him and put his hands on the side of Himchan's face.

Himchan's head snapped up and he stared straight into Yongguk's eyes. His gaze seemed off somehow, but Yongguk couldn't think of what it was.

And then Himchan lunged at Yongguk, jumping on him and knocking him to the ground.

"Himchan!" Yongguk shouted, trying to push the rabid vampire away from him. Himchan's teeth were bared and he seemed stronger than usual. Yongguk realized he might not be able to push him off.

"Himchan! Get a hold of yourself! Himchan! Himchan!" Yongguk screamed, scrambling to shove the vampire off of him. Himchan's clawed fingers scraped against Yongguk's smooth skin and left long red scratches.

Himchan grabbed Yongguk's arms ferociously and slammed them to the ground, snarling.

Himchan's fangs sunk into Yongguk's exposed neck.

"Ack-" Yongguk choked at the action. It felt like he was experiencing that dreaded moment all over again.

Yongguk didn't want to be a vampire, just like anybody else who was turned. Yongguk was just an unsuspecting human, walking back home from the convenience store one night. He didn't expect to be jumped by a hungry vampire.

The night was rather traumatizing; why wouldn't it be? Yongguk didn't want to feel like he was being turned again.

Yongguk grit his teeth, feeling his own fangs poke his bottom lip. He banged on Himchan's shoulder roughly, trying to get him to snap out of the blood lust.

But he didn't stop, and Yongguk's hitting got weaker and slower.

"Ugh!" Himchan yelped, pulling away from Yongguk abruptly. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, leaving a bloody stain. His blood lust finally seemed to be satisfied.

Himchan looked down, gasping when he saw his dark haired lover below him.

"Yongguk, oh shit, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Himchan panicked and got off of Yongguk before pulling his limp body into his arms.

Yongguk's electric blue eyes were hazy and staring at Himchan dully.

He offered a small smile, putting a bony hand up to Himchan's bloodstained cheek.

"It's okay, I'll heal in a day or so...don't worry," Yongguk murmured.

"I know, but...I still hurt you," Himchan said sadly, lowering his eyes shamefully.

Yongguk chuckled weakly. "Just think of it as payback for turning you into this kind of monster."

Himchan sniffed, crushing Yongguk in a hug. He hadn't wanted to hurt his lover, he just lost control. Himchan was desperately hoping for the problem to go away because he didn't want to hurt anyone anymore.

He only wanted to take what was necessary for him to live, nothing more.

"Let's just go home, Chan.." Yongguk mumbled, pressing his face into Himchan's chest.

Himchan nodded, picking up Yongguk and slowly standing up. He tightened his grip on him and carried the skinny vampire back to their 'lair'.

\- - -

"Himchan!" Junhong called in surprise when he saw Himchan walking in.

"What happened?" Youngjae asked sternly, looking at the limp Yongguk in his arms.

Himchan gulped, averting his eyes from Youngjae's piercing green eyes. His were the only different color. Everybody else had frighteningly blue eyes, courtesy of Daehyun. Himchan didn't like looking into them because Youngjae's eyes were one of the most daunting things about him. 

"My blood lust came back and Yongguk happened to be its next target," Himchan explained, putting Yongguk down on the tattered couch gently.

"Hmm, how much did you drink?" Youngjae asked, his green eyes flitting over Yongguk's body.

"I don't know, I just suddenly snapped out of it and he was like this. Still conscious, but he was the same pale color and his eyes were really dull looking," Himchan explained.

Youngjae nodded, crossing his arms. "Dae," he called.

"Ye~s, JaeJae?" Daehyun's sugar sweet voice filled the room. He latched onto Youngjae's arm, rersting his head on his shoulder. He was playful, until he saw Yongguk lying on the couch.

His bright blue eyes dimmed in concern and a frown appeared on his lips.

"Don't pout, Daehyun," Youngjae said, pecking his partner on the lips.

Zelo made a gagging sound and stuck out his tongue. "Gross~," He giggled.

Daehyun rolled his eyes and crouched down to look at Yongguk.

"What happened to him?" Daehyun asked, pulling out some medicine bottles from his hoodie.  **(magic!)**

"My blood lust happened," Himchan sighed, annoyed that he had to explain again.

"Oh, he should be fine by tomorrow then," Daehyun said, opening Yongguk's mouthwith his fingers and pouring a clear liquid into his mouth.

"Okay, thank god," Himchan said, breathing a sigh of relief. He scooped Yongguk up in his arms again and walked to their room.

\- - -

Himchan had confessed his feelings to Yongguk almost two months ago now, with a blush on his cheeks and sweating hands.

He was mind blown when Yongguk sheepishly told Himchan he felt the same towards him. Yongguk had swept Himchan into his arms and the electric blue eyes that  entranced Himchan were staring at him as if he was the whole world.

Himchan couldn't keep his face from blazing red with embarrassment. He covered his face with hands and just let Yongguk hug him. He was happy.

Now Himchan felt terrible. His problem had caused him to hurt the one he loved most. He knew Yongguk would tell him not to blame himself, but he couldn't help but feel like everything was his fault.

"Ugh, get it together Himchan..." Himchan mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He stared at the white wall in front of the bed he was sitting on. It was as empty as Himchan's head was with ideas to solve his blood lust issue.

"Chan?" Himchan's head jerked up at the sound of his lover's voice.

He turned around and saw Yongguk sitting up and looking at him fondly.

"Yongguk! You're okay!" Himchan cheered, rushing over and wrapping his arms around Yongguk's thin frame.

"I told you I'd be fine. I have really fast healing abilities, remember?" Yongguk chuckled, returning the hug.

"I know, I'm still sorry..." Himchan sniffed, burying his head into Yongguk's chest.

Yongguk smiled and stroked Himchan's hair lovingly.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" Himchan asked, lifting his head to look at Yongguk. His big blue doe eyes sparkled and Yongguk tried not to throw up rainbows. He loved him so much.

"I love you, you know?" Yongguk said, tilting Himchan's chin up. He placed a soft kiss on his pink lips. Himchan smiled, his fangs peeking out from underneath his lips.

Himchan kissed Yongguk back, smiling shyly. He slowly climbed on Yongguk's lap and his hands snaked around Yongguk's neck.

"Yongguk..." Himchan whispered, getting closer and closer to Yongguk's face. Before Hiimchan realized, Yongguk had captured his lips again.

The kiss was slow at first. Himchan kissed back, his mouth moving against Yongguk's as if they were perfectly matched each other.

But it got more heated and passionate and their kisses were hot and needy, like they couldn't get enough of each other. Himchan's hands found their way to Yongguk's dark hair and his fingers tangled in between the dark locks.

"Mm.." Yongguk's tongue made its way into HImchan's mouth and ran across his pointed fangs. Their tongues clashed and tangled together. Yongguk stopped suddenly and flipped their  positions, so he was now looming over a red-faced Himchan

Yongguk's eyes burned a fiery electric blue as he stared into Himchan's icy blue ones. 

"You seem to have ignited a fire in my heart, Chan," He said, pinning Himchan's arms down. 

Himchan blushed, turning his head away. 

"I...I love you too, Yongguk..." Himchan murmured, squirming shyly under the intense gaze of his lover. 

Yongguk smirked and leaned down again. 

But a sudden banging on the door startled them both and they knocked their foreheads together. 

"Hey! No fucking, losers!" Jongup screamed.

"Can't they just do what they want, Jongup?" Daehyun asked. Their voices were arguing now, right outside Himchan and Yongguk's bedroom. 

"You're only saying that because you and Youngjae are at it every other night too!" Jongup screeched, stomping his foot. Yongguk looked at the closed door in annoyance. 

Himchan giggled, placing a chaste kiss on Yongguk's lips, before pulling the covers up and snuggling in. 

Yongguk stared at him, dumbfounded. He sighed and lay down next to his lover, pulling him into his arms. 

Himchan closed his eyes, smiling to himself. He was actually kind of happy he became a vampire now. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have met the love of his life. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, a small explanation about how they're turned into vampires in this book:
> 
> Basically, you're bitten by a vampire (duh), and they sort of infect you. It's a disease of sorts. After that, you start to get sick, like Himchan did. You can be healed by the vampire that bit you's blood, but only for so long before the disease takes over and kills you. Then you have to be buried and I guess rise (like Yongguk in the beginning). Then you've got all the basic vampy powers and stuff lol. Hope that was clear


	12. Your Voice (DaeUp)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daehyun was beginning to lose his voice after all these years. He needed to tell someone.

It had been a year.

A year since Daehyun began to notice.

He tried every method he could find.

But nothing helped.

Nothing.

Maybe it was because he wasn't trying hard enough to fix it. Or maybe it was because he had pushed to hard, too far.

Daehyun's voice was dying.

And nobody noticed, but Daehyun felt like he was too.

\- - -

"Let's go boys!" Their manager's voice sounded from the living room.

Daehyun's eyes snapped open and he groaned in annoyance. He wanted to sleep longer. He turned on his side and pulled the warm blankets back up to his chin, snuggling in.

"Dae, Dae, Dae, we gotta get ready!" Daehyun's sleep was once again halted as someone shook him awake.

Daehyun sat up and opened his eyes, an annoyed look plastered on his face. He looked at who was shaking him and the frown melted off his face.

"Ah, my moon angel, here to brighten my morning!" Daehyun smiled and pulled Jongup down into the blankets with him.

"Daehyun~ we've gotta get up! We'll be late," Jongup whined, hitting Daehyun on the forehead.

"Ow! Why'd you hit me?" Daehyun grumbled, pouting.

"Because you're being slow and stubborn! Seriously, we'll get yelled at if we're late again," Jongup said, getting off the bed and crossing his arms. Daehyun sighed and got up too.

He walked up behind the upset Jongup and snaked his arms around his waist, chin on his shoulder.

"Awe, I'm sorry, angel, I'm up now, I'm up."

"Good, otherwise I'd have to beat your ass," Jongup said grumpily, prying Daehyun's arms off of him.

"Get dressed!" He called as he walked out of Daehyun's room.

Daehyun kept his smile on his face for a few seconds before letting it fall. He blinked harshly, trying to dispel the sudden dread in his heart.

He had to sing again today, but he didn't know if he could. He was so surprised the others hadn't noticed there was something wrong with him yet. To his ears, he sounded horrible and there was no way his voice was going unnoticed.

Daehyun wanted to quit; he didn't want to be humiliated in front of all his fans. But he also didn't want to disappoint them by suddenly leaving the group. He was so torn.

Daehyun finished getting dressed and sighed heavily, sliding his feet into his shoes.

He'd just do his best.

\- - -

"Next is  _Body & Soul_! Babyz, are you ready for our sweet serenade?" Himchan said into the mic. The screams of their Babyz echoed in Daehyun's ears.

"Okay, let's do it," Youngjae said, smiling widely.

Daehyun nodded at him, trying not to let his smile crack.  _Body & Soul_ was hard. The notes...they were too high for Daehyun right now.

But he didn't say anything and just got in his position quietly.

Jongup put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, Dae?" He asked, his eyes meeting Daehyun's worriedly.

Shrugging Jongup's hand off, he replied, "Fine, I'm fine, thanks Jongup..."

Jongup lingered for a second, a slight frown on his pretty lips.

"Okay. You'll do great!" Jongup said encouragingly. "Fighting!"

Daehyun nodded and clutched onto his mic tighter. "You too," he murmured.

The music started, and Daehyun took a deep breath. He could make it through. It was one of the last songs of the night.

Daehyun began to dance, trying to let the music melt away his apprehension and fear. It worked; until it was his turn to sing, that is.

Daehyun's voice came out as usual: melodic, soothing, and absolutely beautiful. This part of the song didn't strain his voice much.

But the part Daehyun was dreading was around the end.

He made it through the first couple of his lines and his heart began to beat faster as the high note began to get even closer.

The first one came and Daehyun did it; he pulled through. But his throat hurt now. A bad sign.

Daehyun could only hear the pounding of his heart now. The music was barely audible to him. He felt like his body was on autopilot.

And the autopilot shut off right when he needed it most. His high note ad-lib was after Himchan's next line. Daehyun took in as much air as he possibly could and tried his best to belt out the note perfectly.

But he failed. It was flawless for a split second until it crashed and burned.

Daehyun's voice cracked and he fell into a coughing fit. His knees wobbled and he crashed to the ground, trying to hold himself up with his hands. It felt like Daehyun's heart was cracking in two simultaneously.

With watery eyes he stared out at his precious Babyz, the fans who loved his singing so much. The Babyz in the front row were reaching out to him with worried hands and fearful eyes.

"Daehyun! Hey, hey, are you okay?" Yongguk was closest to him, his hands now on Daehyun's back and rubbing up and down calmly.

But it didn't help the tangled mess Daehyun's heart and mind were in right now.

The heartbroken looks of his Babyz and the worried glances of his members tore him apart.

Daehyun couldn't take it. He scrambled to his feet and dashed off the stage, nearly crashing into the PDs and managers that were watching the situation with frantic eyes. Daehyun could feel more coughs rising in his throat as he ran to their dressing room.

Bone-rattling coughs escaped Daehyun and he had to stop running so he didn't collapse right then and there.

Daehyun pushed on, realizing that the dressing room would probably have people in it. His mouth felt dry and his eyes heavy.

Daehyun rounded a corner and saw a set of stairs with plenty of room underneath them. Daehyun held back his tears and crawled under the stairs. He pressed his body in the corner where the wall and stairs met. His head rest against the freezing cold wall; Daehyun hoped it could numb him.

\- - -

Jongup and the others finished the song successfully. They told the PDs they needed to take a ten minute break and hoped they would let them have it.

Junhong smiled gratefully when they allowed five minutes to get themselves together.

"Jongup, you should go find him. I'm worried," Himchan said, staring at him.

Jongup nodded, putting down his mic.

Yongguk stepped in, putting a hand on Jongup's shoulder, "We're all worried, Himchan."

Himchan nodded, closing his eyes tiredly as he placed his hand on top of Yongguk's.

"I'll go find him. I'm sure he's fine, guys." Jongup opened the door and entered the long hallway.

He briskly walked down the halls, opening every door he could and looking inside.

His feet echoed on the linoleum floors as he started walking faster and faster. Jongup couldn't take it anymore and broke into a run.

He was about to turn another corner when he heard it.

Painful coughs, that sounded as if they were being forcefully repressed. Jongup's eyes darted around as he scanned the room. Then Jongup saw a shivering figure pressed against the wall underneath the stairs.

"Dae? Is that you?" Jongup whispered, creeping closer. Jongup was sure it was him.

He ducked under the stairs and fell to his knees, seeing the dark brown hair on Daehyun's head clearly now.

"Daehyun...hey...it's me," Jongup murmured, his fingers brushing Daehyun's clothed arm.

He felt Daehyun's body flinch and he started coughing again.

Daehyun covered his mouth with his hands and turned to Jongup. Jongup's heart nearly broke at the sight of Daehyun's red eyes and tear-streaked skin.

"Dae...come here," Jongup whispered sadly, opening his arms and pulling Daehyun into his embrace.

"Jongup- Jongup I- I may never be able to sing again," Daehyun cried quietly. Sobs wracked his body and his shoulders shook with each breath.

Jongup put his chin on Daehyun's shoulder and let Daehyun cry into his shirt. Jongup's eyes began to water too, "Just let it all out, baby. It's okay...It's okay."

Daehyun felt Jongup's warm hands caress his back and he felt like he could just let go. So he did. 

He cried his heart out, grasping onto Jongup's shirt with his hands and wanting nothing but to be in his arms. Daehyun was crying so hard he started coughing again. His throat burned and he felt like his chest was constricted and tight, as if he couldn't breathe. He sensed Jongup's arms loosening from around his body.

Jongup said with a sense of urgency, "Dae, breathe, it's okay, breathe!"

But Daehyun couldn't breathe.

"Jong..." he coughed again, "can't...breathe," Daehyun managed to choke out.

Jongup was panicking. How did his coughing trigger an inability to breathe?

Jongup scooped Daehyun's feather-light body into his arms and began running. He ran as fast as he could while trying to keep Daehyun's head from jerking around.

Jongup pressed him closer to his chest, "We're almost there, Dae, hold on." Jongup skidded around the corner and spotted the dressing room.

He started shouting before he even entered the room, "Call 911  **(idk what sk's emergency # is)**! Call 911, anyone!"

The dressing room door swung open and slammed against the wall. The other members were staring at Jongup, looking ruffled and scared.

Himchan darted to the huffing Jongup's side, "What's happening? Jongup, what's happening!?" Himchan's hands gripped Jongup's shoulder tightly.

Jongup shook his head, saying, "Dial 911! Daehyun needs help!" The sound of Jongup's yelling and Daehyun's heart-wrenching coughs filled the room.

"I've got it, it's on its way!" Junhong said, his eyes grave.

"Daehyun..." Youngjae murmured, watching the scene from afar, his eyes watering.

He had no clue what was going on, but from the sound of Daehyun's coughing and tears, it wasn't good. At all.

Youngjae turned away from the scene and held his knees to his chest.

It was going to be a long night.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Daehyun blinked groggily. His eyes revealed a bright white room, with all kinds of beeping machines and equipment.

Daehyun surveyed the room, and his gaze fell on the silver haired boy who was asleep on Daehyun's lap.

Daehyun smiles softly at the sight of his moon angel fast asleep. He ran a hand through his silky hair. The strands got caught in between his fingers and fell on his forehead.

Daehyun felt Jongup stir. He quickly retracted his hand from Jongup's head and closed his eyes.

"Hey, Dae, I know you're awake."

Daehyun tried not to smile but failed epically. The corners of his lips turned up and he raised a hand to his mouth to keep his giggles from tumbling out. Daehyun saw Jongup's wry smile and put a hand on his cheek.

"Hey, angel, I'm up."

Jongup smiled and grabbed Daehyun's hand, "I'm so glad." He took a seat on the side of Daehyun's bed.

Jongup played with Daehyun's fingers.

"So, do you want to hear the good news or bad news first?"

"Bad."

Jongup looked crestfallen, but he knew he had to say it.

"Dae, your vocal cords are in bad condition. You probably won't be able to sing anymore..." Daehyun nodded his head, feeling his heart shatter into a million pieces.

"And...I really, really like you. That's the good news," Jongup blushed profusely at his own words.

Daehyun felt some of his heart mend back together.

"I like you too, angel."

Daehyun was smiling but tears ran down his face. It was a simultaneously happy and heartbroken expression.

Daehyun lost something he loved that day but also gained something he could love even more.

\- - -

Daehyun was doing okay.

Two years had passed since he had officially left B.A.P  **(y'all my heart hurts writing this)**. One year had passed since the group had disbanded.

But Daehyun was okay.

Daehyun's heart had broken into pieces when Jongup told him he wouldn't be able to sing again. Daehyun had cried, because he couldn't do what he truly loved anymore.

When a part of your heart is destroyed, it hurts. Daehyun suffered with the guilt and sadness of leaving the BABYz and his precious members.

But he knew he couldn't prolong anything, or it would just hurt more.

The members and BABYz were kind and supportive with his decision. They were sad too, but they realized they should be happy for Dae and whatever he chose to do after that.

Daehyun was glad they felt this way. It gave him hope that he would be supported and loved no matter what he decided to do. 

"Daehyun!"

Jongup's melodic voice snapped Daehyun out of his reverie.

"Yeah?" Daehyun called from the living room.

"I love you!"

Daehyun felt a huge smile spread across his face.

Daehyun was happy as an MC for his own show. Daehyun was happy that the former members of B.A.P were doing their own things:

Yongguk was a producer and did some solo rapping,

Youngjae was a musical actor,

Himchan was a host for multiple music shows,

Junhong was a dance teacher and rapper in his free time.

And Jongup was too busy being Daehyun's full time boyfriend to work.

Just kidding, Jongup was now a solo artist, and Daehyun believed that Jongup's voice had surpassed his own.

Daehyun was extremely proud of his stunning singer boyfriend.

So, Daehyun was doing okay.

He could never sing as Daehyun of B.A.P again.

But that was okay.

He was dating the love of his life and he still had his best friends with him.

Daehyun called back to Jongup, "I love you too!"

He was happy.


	13. Meow (Neo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taekwoon finds the cute boy from chemistry wandering around in the park on a rainy day.

Taekwoon tilted his head back, taking in the bright blue sky and smiling as a breeze ruffled his pitch black hair.

He was thinking dazedly about the cute boy in his chemistry class. He was adorable and had the most stunning smile that swept Taekwoon off his feet. Taekwoon loved his laugh and the way his eyes crinkled. He thought the boy was charming and sweet.

Basically, Taekwoon had the hugest crush on the beautiful Cha Hakyeon.

Taekwoon smiled softly at the thought of Hakyeon talking to him today. It was brief, but Hakyeon had turned to ask Taekwoon for a pencil. Taekwoon cherished their conversation, which consisted of a mere ten words.

Taekwoon strolled through the park, thinking about his secret crush and what he should eat for dinner.

As he walked down the path between the trees, he heard a soft voice calling out.

"Chubs! Chubs~!"

Taekwoon tilted his head in confusion. Chubs? What is that?

Taekwoon could here the voice getting closer to him as he walked.

He walked around a tree, looking back and forth before turning back to the main path.

Nearly stumbling, he saw Hakyeon crouched down and clapping his hands softly.

Taekwoon jumped behind the tree again, peering around to look at his crush with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

He noticed the crestfallen look on Hakyeon's thin face and he couldn't help but frown at the sight. Taekwoon wanted to go to him and ask what was wrong, because he really couldn't take seeing that sad face very long.

Taekwoon decided to muster up his courage and go talk to Hakyeon. Taking a deep breath, Taekwoon stepped forward-- and proceeded to trip over a tree root and sprawl all over the concrete path.

Taekwoon winced in embarrassment at the debaclehe had caused. Now he was lying on the ground, his elbows scraped up, his cheeks burning red, and his crush staring right at him with wide eyes.

"Taekwoon? Right?" Hakyeon asked after he approached the boy.

Taekwoon scrambled up, dusting off his knees and standing. "Uh, y-yeah," He mumbled shyly as he rubbed his neck nervously.

Hakyeon pointed at Taekwoon's bleeding elbows, "Are you okay?"

Taekwoon looked at his scarred skin and ran his fingers over the cuts. He winced at the light touch. "I'm good, thanks."

"Hey, Taekwoon, can you help me look for my cat?" Hakyeon asked, his eyes big and round and a smile on his lips.

Taekwoon gulped and told himself not to kiss Hakyeon right now no matter how much he wanted to.

"Oh, uh, sure," he stammered out those three words instead.

"His name is Chubs! He's a black cat, with the prettiest green eyes."

"Your eyes are pretty too," Taekwoon blurted out. His ears burned red with embarrassment and he slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I--I'm sorry!" He apologized.

Hakyeon laughed and Taekwoon swore his heart burst with happiness.

"It's fine! Thank you for the compliment! I think your hair is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen, by the way." Hakyeon beamed, giggling a little.

Taekwoon buried his face in his hands. Oh, he was so embarrassed, but he was also ecstatic. His crush just told him he loved his hair.

"Help me search now," Hakyeon said, brushing his fingers against Taekwoon's hands. His heart jumped. 

"Okay, I will," He replied, removing his hands from his face. 

Hakyeon pointed in another direction, "You look over there, and I'll look here, okay?"

Taekwoon nodded, slightly disappointed that he couldn't be right next to Hakyeon the whole time. But he was helping him, so that made Taekwoon feel a little bit better. 

Hopefully, though, this situation would bring Taekwoon closer to Hakyeon. And maybe, just maybe-- Taekwoon would have the courage to confess his feelings.

 

 

\- - -

 

 

Taekwoon was crawling on his hands and knees in the bushes for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, when he heard a meow. 

His head snapped up at the sound and he whispered excitedly, "Chubs?"

Taekwoon's eyes found a pair of sparkling yellow-green irises in between the leaves. 

 _Yes!_ Taekwoon cheered silently, overjoyed. He had finally found the mischievous little cat. Taekwoon slowly reached forward, careful to not scare the kitten away and ruin all of his hard work. 

Taekwoon snatched the little ball of fluff in his hands and burst out of the bush, a giant grin on his face. 

"Hakyeon! Hakyeon, I found him!" 

\- - - 

Hakyeon heard his classmate yelling in excitement and immediately abandoned his search under a park bench. He walked around the corner and saw that handsome, tall, ebony-haired boy laughing with a huge smile on his face. Hakyeon's heart fluttered. 

He smiled and jogged up to Taekwoon, who was holding Hakyeon's kitten in his arms, his eyes sparkling like diamonds. 

"Hakyeon, he's adorable," Taekwoon mused, stroking Chubs's ears. 

"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Hakyeon chuckled, rubbing Chubs on his little nose. 

"But you know who's cuter?" Hakyeon said softly, his eyes trained on Taekwoon's perfect smile, and his dark hair that was falling in his eyes. 

"Who?" Taekwoon asked, suddenly look straight at Hakyeon, his eyes shining. Hakyeon wasn't sure what the look in his eyes was: hurt, hope, sadness, happiness?

"Well, uh, you are, Taekwoon--" Hakyeon said shyly, before getting cut off by Taekwoon.

"I really like you, Cha Hakyeon!" 

Hakyeon blinked, not believing the words he was hearing. The words registered in his head and a fierce blush spread over Hakyeon's cheeks. 

Taekwoon's cheeks were burning too, and his heart was beating a million miles an hour. He had built up his courage and just said it when Hakyeon said he thought someone was cute. 

But he wasn't expecting that person to be himself.

Hakyeon glanced at the ground, "I like you too, Taekwoon."

"Re-really?" Taekwoon gasped, nearly dropping Chubs, but catching himself before he could do so. 

Hakyeon nodded furiously. 

"Wow.." Taekwoon breathed in amazement. His crush liked him back, it was something that only happened in fairy tales. 

Suddenly, Taekwoon felt something wet hit his head. He looked up and a raindrop hit him in the eye. 

The once blue sky was now covered in stormy clouds and rain was starting to pour down. Taekwoon covered his head with his hand and shouted at Hakyeon, "Let's go!"

Hakyeon grinned and grabbed Taekwoon by the wrist. 

"C'mon, let's get out of here."

Taekwoon had never felt so happy on a rainy day like this. 

 


	14. Gays in Space (HuiDawn/Pentagon)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes a lot of patience to be the captain of an intergalactic crew of 9 foolish men. Hwitaek tries to keep up with them AND his boyfriend.

"Code 7! Code 7! Alien in the cafeteria!" Yan An's voice blared in Hwitaek's ear. He winced and pulled the earpiece away from his now-throbbing eardrums.

"For fuck's sake, Yan An, use your inside voice," Hwitaek grumbled as he put the earpiece back in its place. He spun around in the pilot's seat, his head thrown back and his eyes closed.

"But, Captain, it's- HOLY SHIT NOT MY LUNCH!" Yan An screeched. His panicked voice cut out and only static replaced it.

"Yan An! Yan An!" Changgu finally piped up over the com. "You better go find your boyfriend before he's an alien's dinner," Hwitaek commented lazily.

"Oh my god, Hwitaek, why didn't you help him?!" Changgu asked indignantly. Hwitaek could hear the metal doors of each hangar open as Changgu ran to rescue Yan An from peril.

"I figured he could handle a single alien by himself, I mean, come on," Hwitaek replied, rolling his eyes.

"I hate you, oh my fucking god."

Hwitaek shot up straight. "Hey, that's no way to talk to your captain! Don't make me throw you off this spaceship!" Hwitaek threatened, eyebrows wrinkling.

"Go fuck yourself, Hwitaek! Yan An's going to die!" Changgu screamed in anger.

"Hey hey, he has Hyojong for that," Shinwon interjected suddenly. Hwitaek's cheeks flushed red and he covered his face with his hands.

"I don't kno-," Hwitaek began, only for his own words to be cut off.

"He isn't wrong."

The sliding door to the command room opened, revealing a shirtless Hyojong leaning against the door frame. Hwitaek's eyes nearly popped out of his eye sockets.

"Hot damn..." Hwitaek whispered, leaning forward to get a better look at Hyojong's toned, glistening bronze torso.

Hyojong smirked, walking over to Hwitaek with confidence in his step, his hips swaying. "What's that you were saying, Hwitaek?" Hyojong slid onto Hwitaek's lap, arms encircling his neck. Hwitaek blinked, eyes wide and cheeks red.

"I-- Well, I just, I just--," Hwitaek tripped over his words, "You're so  _hot..._ "

"Mm," Hyojong hummed into Hwitaek's ear before biting onto the shell softly.

"Oh god, Hyojong."

Hyojong pulled away and pressed a kiss to Hwitaek's plush lips. Hwitaek grabbed his face and smashed their lips together fiercely, causing Hyojong to groan in satisfaction and kiss back.

Fiery kisses were placed on Hyojong's jawline and down his neck to his sternum. Hyojong's fingers threaded through Hwitaek's flaming red locks.

"Ah—,"

"Hey, why don't you two take off your earpieces first so all of us aren't subject to your "love-making", eh?" Yuto interjected into their little private time.

Hwitaek grumbled and wrapped his arms around Hyojong's torso. Hyojong pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He snuggled into Hyojong's shoulder, upset that they were interrupted.

"More importantly, we've got a real Code 7 here!" Jinho said, his voice panicked.

Hwitaek's head jerked up immediately, his eyes suddenly alert as those words processed in his brain.

"Yan An is this close to being Alien Chinese food," Yuto cackled. Hwitaek heard the sound of a blaster going off in the background, followed by a loud scream and breaking glass.

"What's going on, do you guys need me there?" Hwitaek asked, gently pushing a concerned looking Hyojong off his lap reluctantly. He stood up and walked to the control table in the center of the room.

"Um yeah, we kinda do. It's kind of six — move Hyunggu! — against one Thrasher," Yuto spoke up, his voice crackling in Hwitaek's ear.

Hwitaek's mouth fell open, "Did you just say a Thrasher?"

"Yeah, we don't know how the hell it got in. The thing is fucking huge," Jinho grumbled.

Thrashers weren't necessarily lethal or super dangerous, but could definitely pose a threat when they got too big. Hwitaek gritted his teeth and dashed to the glass case with his suit in it. "I'll be right there, cafeteria right?" He asked.

"Yes, the cafe—" Loud static filled Hyojong and Hwitaek's ears as Jinho's earpiece got smashed, presumably by the alien.

"Shit, Dawnie, we gotta go," Hwitaek yelled in a panic, throwing Hyojong's own fighting gear at him.

"I know."

Hwitaek pulled on his gear over his clothes in a rush, trying to make sure all the straps were connected and he wasn't missing anything.

"Bring a couple guns, some of the big ones," Hwitaek barked, grabbing his double blasters and sticking them in their holsters.

"Already on it, babe," Hyojong said, his arms filled with the biggest weapons he could carry.

Hwitaek smiled at him and opened the metal door with the press of a big blue button.

"Let's go."

They both ran out of the command room, weighed down by heavy weapons and concerned faces.

\- - -

Hwitaek and Hyojong stared at the scene in front of them. Hyojong's mouth hung open in disbelief at what he was seeing. Hwitaek just stared blankly, his face disappointed.

"Are you sure that Thrasher is super big, Jinho?" Wooseok asked as he walked in behind Hwitaek and Hyojong.

Yan An was dangling in the air, his leg in the mini Thrasher's mouth. He waved at Hwitaek, a pained smile on his face. Changgu stood on one of the cafeteria tables, screaming and throwing plates at the creature.

"Let go of Yananie, you bitch!" Changgu screeched as he proceeded to toss a fork towards the Thrasher's face.

Wooseok let out a loud laugh, causing Hwitaek and Hyojong to glare at him. Wooseok walked up to the Thrasher and patted the alligator-like creature on the nose. "You're not so big and bad are you?" Wooseok asked, looking pointedly at a pouting Jinho. The Thrasher looked at Wooseok with lazy eyes and chomped down on Yan An's leg.

"Ahhh!" Yan An screamed, voice shrill. Changgu screeched and threw a spoon.

Wooseok slid his arm onto the Thrasher's shoulder, as if the alien was his best friend. "Hey, Wooseok, you better not replace me with that alien," Yuto said, throwing his gun to the ground and crossing his arms.

Wooseok pouted. "I'd never, Yuto!"

Hwitaek sighed, watching the alien sneak glances at Wooseok's arm. "Wooseok, you better wa-." Hwitaek's eyes widened as the Thrasher opened its mouth just wide enough to accommodate Wooseok's arm and keep Yan An hanging from its ugly jowls.

Wooseok screamed as his arm was bitten down on.

Hyojong facepalmed, muttering about how stupid Wooseok was.

"Ha, not so brave - ow! - now, huh maknae?" Yan An cackled, holding his knee in pain. Hwitaek honestly wanted to smack both of them upside the head.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Hyojong, hand me a phase blade  **(I may have just stolen that from terraria bc I'm not creative)**."

Hyojong handed him a bright red one that matched his hair. "Try not to cut off their limbs, babe."

Hwitaek smirked, blowing a kiss to Hyojong as he twirled the sword in his hand. "No promises," he said, stalking forward.

Hwitaek waved the blade in the air, "You kids better all move, or you'll get caught in the crossfire."

"I'm not a kid!" Jinho grumped, walking behind Hyojong. Hwitaek rolled his eyes.

Hwitaek took an offensive stance, his sword poised in front of him. He made sure all the members were out of the way, and in a flash he was behind the unsuspecting Thrasher, slicing its head clean off.

"Wooo!! Go babe!" Hyojong cheered, making Hwitaek smile in satisfaction.

The alien's head tumbled to the ground, it's jaws still locked onto Yan An and Wooseok's appendages. They both groaned as their bodies hit the floor and limbs twisted in unnatural directions.

Hwitaek hummed, admiring his handiwork. "Yan An!" It was short lived as Changgu came running, embracing his trapped boyfriend.

Changgu turned to Hwitaek, his face distressed and finger pointing at Yan An's leg. "Hwitaek, I hate you for being late, but can you get that out of there?"

Hwitaek sighed and quickly cut up the alien's flesh in a way that wouldn't harm Yan An anymore. He did the same to Wooseok.

"Hyunggu, come help Wooseok," Hwitaek droned. "Hongseok and Shinwon - where's Shinwon?" Hwitaek asked, annoyed, as he sat down on a cafeteria table.

"He's probably sleeping," Hongseok offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Ugh, whatever, then you and Jinho help clean this place up. Let's go, Hyojongie," Hwitaek mumbled, shaking his head.

"Mmkay~" Hyojong skipped to his side, entwining their fingers together as they walked out.

"They're troublesome, but you love them don't you?" Hyojong simpered, smiling softly.

Hwitaek sighed again, but couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"Yeah, you're right."

Hwitaek winked at him, "But I love you more."


	15. Wonderland (OnKey)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Key and Onew, two Deadmen, struggle to survive after Tokyo falls to ruin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the Deadman Wonderland universe, a manga written by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou
> 
> if you would like more info to try and understand what's happening here better, just search up the wiki page for the anime and you'll be all set.

KEY

Tokyo was in ruin. Complete ruin.

The earthquake that destroyed us was a killing force. I discovered this as it happened.

I watched as my family were crushed under the falling buildings, their blood splattering on my face. I was helpless, I wasn't fast enough, I wasn't strong enough to pull the rocks off my little sister's body.

My hands felt like they were coated in blood.

I wasn't fast enough to save my best friend. That anger set it off - this horrible, vicious power. And I attacked him in rage, the police officer who took Taemin away from me, the only one I had.

It was all my fault.

I never wanted to hurt someone, so why...why?

Why would God give me the power to kill?

\- - -

_ONEW_

_This world hadn't been as cruel to me as it could have been. I was alone in the first place; the earthquake caused me to lose no one._

_So I survived on my own._

_I stole whatever food and money I could to keep myself alive and walked the streets aimlessly. I never made mistakes, always stealing from empty places or when a shop owner was away for a moment._

_But one day I wasn't careful enough and one of the owners saw me with my hand in his cash register and a piece of bread in my mouth._

_In seconds, my ears were ringing from the gunshot and there was a searing pain in my shoulder._

_In minutes, all I could see was red and the image of my bloody hands._

_In minutes, the rage consumed me and I didn't know what I was doing._

_In hours, I was sitting on death row for murder._

_In months, I was fully aware of what I was: a Deadman._

_In months, I had become a monster, only trying to save myself._   
  
  


\- - -   
  
  


Onew wouldn't exactly say being on death row was fun. His death sentence was hanging around his neck, the needle that injected poison in him a constant threat.

Onew had enough cast points by now to last almost a year. Onew was careful not to get into any fights and lose the precious points that kept him alive.

He swallowed a piece of the bitter candy, feeling the sour taste of it burn his throat. Wincing, Onew slid open the door to his room and walked into the cramped hallway.

His mind was filled with thoughts of Carnival Corpse – the sick game that pitted the Deadmen against each other for the pleasure of the rich.

This game had turned Onew into a killer, into someone who was trying to save themselves on a whole other level. On several occasions, Onew's own Branch of Sin – Zeig der Sunde – had mutilated people to the point that there was nothing left of them to bet on.

Onew was a reigning king in Carnival Corpse, and he planned to keep his title. His thoughts about it now were on different strategies he could use, as he had used everything he knew already.

Onew felt himself bump into someone. Without even looking up, Onew kept walking, his feet dragging.

"Hey!" Onew heard someone yell from behind him.

He was grabbed by the collar and flipped around roughly. Onew stood stock still, his eyes gazing into the dark, infuriated orbs of a very tall man. He felt sweat trickle down his back.

The man stared into Onew's eyes, trying to gauge a response from the silent Deadman.

The man tossed Onew to the ground, causing his elbows to bang against the concrete floor roughly. He winced at the feeling of his skin being scraped off by the cold stone.

He stepped over Onew, his face looming and smile wicked. "Hey kid, you didn't apologize for bumping into me. Get down on your knees and grovel, or I'll kill you," He snarled, cracking his knuckles.

"Say, "I'm very sorry, Ravi, it'll never happen again, sir!"" So his name was Ravi. Onew glanced around. A very large crowd of Deadmen had gathered around them, with big curious eyes, loud snickering, cruel smiles.

Onew sighed, closing his eyes in annoyance. He didn't want to risk losing cast points, but...

His blood boiled at the words Ravi spoke. There was no way that Onew would let someone get away with disrespecting him.

"Well, Ravi, sorry but I'm not sorry," Onew spat out, tearing a gash in his finger with his long nails.

Ravi's eyes flared with anger, his teeth bared and fingers tightening into fists. "You impudent fool, how dare you?" Ravi growled.

"I dare," Onew smirked, forming minuscule bullets of blood behind his back, where Ravi couldn't see them. Onew observed Ravi's contorted features with pleasure, his killing instincts as a Deadman taking over.

Ravi dragged his free hand across his wrist, the metal ring on his finger slicing his skin. "I'll show you." Rivulets of crimson red liquid ran down Ravi's skin, pooling in the creases of his fingers and dripping from his fingertips . Onew watched in slight awe as a sword of pure blood formed in Ravi's outstretched hand.

Onew smiled, almost maniacally, as Ravi's sword cut through the air in front of his face. The tip of the bloody weapon nearly grazed Onew's nose.

His smile grew wider.

"Hey! Stop it!" Onew's head turned towards the voice.

A skinny, black haired male was running towards them, his arms outstretched. Ravi and Onew watched with gaping mouths as the man put his hands on both their chests and pushed with all his might.

Onew tumbled away from Ravi and his back slammed on the wall with a bang. He winced, his back arching from the pain.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" The man that pushed them fretted, his slim fingers now tangled in his disheveled black locks. Onew looked up at him with shock on his features.

Ravi wasn't so calm about the incident though. "What the fuck?" He asked, his eyes even brighter with rage than they were before.

Onew sat up and pushed himself to his feet, seeing that the black haired man was completely oblivious to Ravi's anger.

With one swift movement, Onew pulled the lanky male by the hand, away from a lunging Ravi, and sidestepped the angry man easily.

Onew smirked at the wide eyes and gaping mouth of the one behind him. "Let's get out of here," he said, turning on one foot and running away from the scene.

"Uwaahh!" the man screeched as he was pulled by the hand. With much effort, he kept up with Onew's fast pace and tried not to trip over his own feet.

"Wait, where are we going?" the man asked, a tinge of confusion mixed with fright lacing his voice.

Onew shrugged and kept running, "I'm not sure, strange man. Why don't you tell me your name first?"

"Ah-," he began, then jumped over a potted plant, "-my name is Key."

Onew pulled them behind a wall and pressed his back flat against it, holding his arm in front of Key.

Ravi and a couple of his cronies dashed past them, their boots pounding against the concrete floors. Onew waited until he was sure they were gone before he grabbed Key's hand again and made a mad-dash for his room's door.

Key let out a heavy sigh once they were out of harm's reach and collapsed on a folding chair. Onew eyed him with a curious gaze. Key's black locks fell in his eyes, and his pale skin shone with sweat.

"You don't look like someone who likes to fight, why would you get in between Ravi and I?" Onew commented, his hazel eyes still resting on Key's face with immense curiosity.

Key blew some stray hairs out of his face and smiled softly. "Well, you're right, but I hate when people fight. So whenever I can, I try to step in and prevent the little skirmishes that take place in the hallways," he explained.

Onew nodded, not really getting why he would want to involve himself in others' affairs.

"Well, moving on from that, I'm Onew. Thanks for breaking up that little fight, it was about to get ugly," Onew snickered, sitting down on his small cot.

Key smiled widely, shifting in his seat. Onew watched Key with a dazed look. It had been a while since Onew had laid eyes on such a beautiful smile.

Key's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "So, can we be friends?" Key had a hopeful twinkle in his eyes and he was smiling that gorgeous smile again.

Onew gulped, his eyes flitting about the room nervously. "Well, sure, I guess," Onew stumbled on the words, his cheeks a soft, barely noticeable shade of pink.

It had been so long since Onew had had a friend, with all the shutting out he did after discovering he was a Deadman.

"I'm glad!" Key grinned and stood up. He walked towards the door and tapped his wrist. "It's getting late, almost curfew, I'm gonna get going," Key said, his hand grabbing the doorknob.

Onew lept to his feet, "Wait, do you want me to walk you back to your room?" In case Ravi is still out there?" Onew asked, rubbing his hands together.

Key smiled again, ebony locks shifting into his dark eyes.

"I'll be alright, thanks for asking."

And then he was gone

\- - -

Onew and Key got progressively closer in the next few months.

Onew found himself smiling and laughing more often.

He was in a sense...happy.

Even though he was sitting on death row with a death sentence around his neck, he felt happy.

But that happiness wouldn't last long, as the next carnival corpse was approaching fast.

Onew's next one was in two days, and he was getting increasingly less excited to keep the title he had been so intent on protecting just months ago.

But now...Key had made him reconsider what he was so used to doing: killing.

Onew sat in his bed, fingers twirling the ribbon Key had given him. It was midnight blue and frayed at the ends. Onew decided to tie the ribbon around his wrist so he wouldn't lose it, but also to keep it close to him.

He smiled fondly as his mind was overrun with thoughts of Key. He hoped he could get Carnival Corpse over with quickly this time.

\- - -

"You have a Carnival Corpse tomorrow?" Key asked, surprise in his voice.

Onew nodded, shoving one of the bitter candies into his mouth. "Yeah, guess the wealthy pigs want to see me fight to the death again," Onew said, rolling his eyes in disgust.

Key laughed a little, pushing his lunch around on his tray. "They are pretty brutal, I guess. I've never won a Carnival Corpse before," Key said, a forlorn smile on his lips.

Onew's jaw dropped involuntarily. "Not even one? How much have you lost?" Onew said, wanting to spit out the candy in his mouth now. Key had been here for two years.

Key pursed his lips. tapping the table with a finger. "Let's see... the worst was a kidney, but other than that I've only lost some hair and had my small intestine damaged a bit.

"Key, that's actually pretty serious!" Onew gasped. He'd never lost, so he'd never had anything taken from him in the sick bidding game that the losers were forced to participate in.

"I guess so," Key chuckled, standing up and throwing his tray in the trash.

Onew looked at him with worried eyes. "Is it because you don't like to fight?"

"A little. I just can't stand hurting people. No matter who, I just can't do it. I've hurt too many people already."

Onew put a hand on his shoulder, "But Key, you'd never hurt a fly. What do you mean you've hurt too many people?" Onew asked.

Key laughed bitterly, "You don't know the half of it, Onew." Key stood up from his seat again and walked straight out the cafeteria doors.

Onew looked after him for a moment before dropping his gaze to the ugly floors. He had messed up already, and he didn't know how to fix it.

\- - -

Onew was shoved into the metal elevator and his hand slammed against the wall. He winced at the throbbing pain, but tried to shake it off.

He took a deep breath, calming himself down and ridding himself of the nerves that plagued him. It was just another Carnival Corpse, he should just get it over with.

The elevator started moving, jerking an unsteady Onew. Several minutes later, the metal doors were sliding open and the sickly lighting of the Carnival Corpse arena shone in Onew's face.

With a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Onew stepped out of the machine and onto the red stained ground.

The place was silent as always, and it seemed as though no one was watching, but Onew knew. The bird icons flashed on the massive screen behind the caged walls of the arena. They were watching, as always.

 **"And now enters the lonely Sparrow! He's a reigning champion of our amazing little game here, let's see what will happen to him today!"** The maniacal voice over the loudspeaker cackled.

Onew closed his eyes, waiting for his opponent to enter the arena.

**"Here comes Sparrow's not so formidable opponent! Nightingale enters the arena!"**

He raised his eyes to see the lanky figure emerge from the shadows. Ebony hair and eyes as dark as the night. Onew felt his heart shatter into pieces with just one look.

Key.

Key's eyes widened in shock and recognition as he laid eyes on Onew.

Onew wanted to cry, he wanted to back away and get out of there forever. He didn't want to fight Key, he didn't.

**"Well, well, well! The games begin! Sparrow versus Nightingale, at your service!"**

A loud buzzer sounded, signaling the beginning of the match. Onew stood stock still, not moving a muscle. "Key..." Onew's voice was distressed, a hint of fear in it also.

Key shook away his shock and looked at Onew with hard eyes. "Onew, hit me," Key said. Onew couldn't do it, he shook his head in desperation.

His head flew up to look at the bird symbols, his eyes stared into the lens of the camera he knew was there, watching him. "Don't make me do it, please, I'm begging you," Onew pleaded with them, even though he knew it was a lost cause.

 **"Don't be a coward, Sparrow!"** One voice shouted.

 **"Is he your friend? How could someone like you have a friend?"** Another voice taunted him, its voice drilling into his brain.

 **"He's tricking you, Nightingale...He wants to hurt you...He wants you to let your guard down,"** A soft but menacing voice creeped into Key's ears. Key's expression faltered. 

Onew was panicking as the voices invaded his head. "Get out! Get out get out get out!" He screamed, his hands covering his ears. Onew's eyes flickered around the arena desperately, his hands shaking. His eyes locked onto Key's.

Key shivered from the look in Onew's eyes. Terror, the look in his eyes was of pure terror.

**"Do it, Sparrow. DO IT! Kill him!"**

Onew screamed in agony. He succumbed to the voices, his fingers clawing at his wrist until the scraped skin bled. The blood hardened in a split second, the small bullets of blood hung in the air, poised to attack. Onew had snapped, and Key knew he had to save them both.

Key cut his own skin and pulled out a dazzlingly red dagger. Even in the darkness of the arena it shimmered. Key had five daggers by now, each larger than Onew's bullets by far.

Key closed his eyes, waiting for the moment he knew he would have to attack his friend. He could save them.

A cry ripped from Onew's throat, and the bullets hurtled toward Key. Onew's mind was in a haze, he didn't know what was happening.

But the moment the daggers and bullets met, Onew could feel his body fall to the ground, and the world went black.

\- - -

**4 years later**

 

KEY

I had saved us. 

The impact of our attacks' collision knocked us both out. No one had to sacrifice their life or their body. The Carnival Corpse between Sparrow and Nightingale ended in a draw, with both its competitors incapacitated. 

And we were saved.

Deadman Wonderland was no more. It was destroyed and we managed to escape, the two of us, together. 

And now that we had long left that life behind, we were living together, and I couldn't be happier. 

The memories would still be deeply ingrained inside me. And him, too. How could I forget all the horrible things that happened?

But in the end, it was over.

I never want to be known as a Deadman ever again. 

\- - -

_ONEW_

_Everything that happened during our fight was a blur. But I remember how he saved us. He saved me from the voices that tortured me._

_I'm no longer alone in this world. I have someone that loves me, someone that's there for me._

_I'm no longer the lonely Sparrow that fought to stay alive._

_Nothing I could ever do would help me repay him for the things he has done for me._

_I can only do my best to make him happy._

_I am happy, he is happy._

_That's all that matters right?_


	16. Apples and Motorcycles (KiWon)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinwon meets a badass, bold, fiery red-head one day, and falls completely and hopelessly in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for plot purposes, Hyunggu is two years older than Shinwon.
> 
> TW : bullying and violence.

**NOW:**

Shinwon remembers the time he first saw Hyunggu.

Beautiful, bold, and badass Hyunggu, who makes Shinwon's heart melt with just a flash of his smile.

Shinwon remembers the way his fiery red head of hair shined in the sun and how it caused Shinwon to spontaneously combust inside.

The first words, although not unforgettable, were burned into Shinwon's brain simply because it was Hyunggu who had said them.

**THEN:**

"Apples? How much are they?"

Shinwon's head swiveled to face his newest customer. His eyes were still lowered as he scribbled down orders he had just been given.

"Uh, a dollar a piece," Shinwon replied, before ripping the sheet off and sticking it in his pocket. He raised his head to meet the sparkling dark eyes of a red haired man. And by red, Shinwon meant fire-engine red.

Shinwon ran his little produce stand in the market every weekend, selling mostly apples that he grew on his family's orchard himself, along with some other random things his parents decided to grow. He made a decent amount of money for a 19 year old running a fruit stand at a farmer's market.

Decent money, yes, that was good. Rude customers, not so much. It was rare that Shinwon encountered young, jaw-droppingly gorgeous men at his fruit stand.

The red-haired customer smiled brightly. "Great, that means I can buy four!"

Shinwon had to force his mouth closed. He was sure he was staring by now, but he couldn't help himself: Shinwon had never seen a more gorgeous person in his life.

Shinwon shook his head before the red-head could notice his staring. Embarrassed, Shinwon quickly grabbed one apple of every kind he had and stuffed them in a plastic bag.

The red-head watched him quizzically, about to open his mouth and say something in protest, probably. "Don't say anything. Just take them. 6 apples for four bucks, 'kay?" Shinwon interrupted, thrusting the bag into the startled male's hands.

He nodded slowly and placed the four dollars into Shinwon's outstretched hand. "Thanks, uh - Shinwon, I guess. I appreciate it," red-head said, before giving a slight smile and walking off.

Shinwon sighed happily. It was seldom he got someone like this as a patron. He was pleased and somewhat interested in the man and for some reason, he really, really hoped he would be back another weekend.

\- - -

The next time they met was in the city, while Shinwon shopped for a birthday present for his mom.

Shinwon's dream came true when he saw his new favorite customer get off a sleek black motorcycle, his red-hair falling in waves as he pulled off his helmet. Shinwon tried to stare discretely. Mission: failure.

Shinwon desperately withheld himself from fainting as he walked down the street, knowing he would have to walk by the man on the sidewalk.

Shinwon lowered his eyes and focused on the ground as he attempted to avoid the red-head.

Of course, he had no such luck, and their arms collided as they walked by each other. Shinwon was sent sprawling to the ground as he tripped over himself at the same time.

"Woah, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Shinwon winced as he sat up, his elbows burning with pain. He looked up to meet red-head's eyes, before he timidly looked down again.

"Yeah, I'm alright..." Shinwon replied, dusting his pants off. His eyes flickered to the hand that was now extended out to him, just waiting to be taken. So, Shinwon did, grasping the other's hand firmly and letting himself be pulled to his feet.

Shinwon's one piece of luck was that he didn't stumble into the shorter man's chest: that, would have been mortifying.

Shinwon smiled, saying a small thanks. He was about get out of there before he could make another mess, but red-head spoke up.

"Hey, I think I know you from somewhere. I'm Hyunggu, Kang Hyunggu. Mind jogging my memory with your name, cutie?"

Shinwon's whole mental state combusted, because his not-so-secret crush had just called him  _cuti_ e.

Shinwon stared into  _Hyunggu'_ s eyes, his chest warm and butterflies in his stomach.

"I'm Ko Shinwon," he finally sputtered, blinking like a madman. He was bursting with nerves, knowing he'd probably screw this up somehow, someway.

That smile again, and Hyunggu was saying, "Oh, fruit stand guy! Thanks for the free apples!" He winked, giggling a little.

And Shinwon may have fallen a little in love.

\- - -

Hyunggu made it routine to come every weekend, and Shinwon didn't know if he was visiting because of him or because of the apples.

Either way, Shinwon got to see the man of his dreams every Saturday morning, and he was loving it.

Hyunggu sauntered up to the stand, giving Shinwon an adorable grin. "Morning, Shinwon!" He said, winking.

Of course he had to wink, which made Shinwon splutter and blush madly. He grasped his hands and rubbed them nervously. "G-good morning, Hyunggu..." Shinwon replied. He silently cursed at himself for that stutter.

Hyunggu scooted around the baskets of apples and rested his elbows on the counter. His fingers tapped against his cheek curiously. "Say, Shinwon, you're 19 right? Are you still in high school?" Hyunggu asked.

Shinwon nodded after he had calmed his flustered ass down. "Yeah, um, I was held back a year because of an, um, incident," Shinwon explained as he piled fresh pears in a basket.

Hyunggu frowned. "An incident? What do you mean?" Shinwon smiled forlornly and looked up at Hyunggu. It had been a while since it had happened, and Shinwon wanted to forget but he couldn't.

"I had some problems, you could say, and I ended up passing only two classes my senior year," Shinwon said. Hyunggu's eyes widened in surprise. Yeah, Shinwon was used to that.

Hyunggu was about to speak again, eyes glistening with concern. A voice calling out interrupted him midsentence.

"Look who it is, our favorite Repeat!"

Shinwon's body froze as he took in the face that had yelled. He could practically feel the blood draining out of his skin.

Hyunggu glanced at him, brows crinkled. He jerked a thumb discretely towards the boy and the large posse behind him. "Who're they?"

Shinwon shook his head, turning and trying to busy himself with his laptop (which doubled as his cash register in a way).

Hands slammed down on the counter, causing Shinwon to flinch back. "So, Repeat, you're still out here selling apples are you?" The boy smirked, paying no attention to the glaring red-head just feet away.

"U-um, yeah, I am," Shinwon muttered, trying to keep his hands from trembling.

Shinwon was scared to death. This boy, his name was Woomin, and Shinwon hated him.

Shinwon had to repeat a year of high school all because of this asshole. He had to endure slurs and beatings because of him. He would cry every night because of Woomin.

Shinwon may have been taller than them, but he was all all skin and bones and there were too many of Woomin's cronies. Way too many.

He became frustrated and sad and there was a day he just cracked. He exploded and punched one of Woomin's minions in the jaw, and he should have known nothing would ever be the same after that. Because once the minion tattled, Shinwon was suspended and his already slipping grades slipped even more.

All of this, because Woomin was a fucking homophobe and when he found out Shinwon was gay, he chose him to be his punching bag for the next two years.

Shinwon knew he shouldn't be scared of them and that he should stand up for himself, but he was weak. He was weak and couldn't even protect himself.

And so the saga continued: Shinwon avoided, Shinwon was caught, and Shinwon was beaten up.

"Well, that's great, isn't it boys?" Woomin said, glancing around at his friends. He leered at Shinwon, his lips forming a mean grin. "Glad you're holding up, Repeat. Give us some apples?"

Shinwon picked up a green apple and held it out to Woomin, fingers shaking slightly.

Unfortunately, Woomin saw. His eyes shined with mock pity. "Oh, is little Repeat scared?" He said, sneering. His friends cackled behind him, covering their mouths with their hands.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shinwon saw Hyunggu's face contort in anger. He averted his eyes. His chest hurt.

Biting his lip, he replied softly, "I'm not scared of you." But he was lying.

Woomin laughed. "Yeah, sure, I can see how brave you are, that's for sure," he said. Shinwon felt like shrinking into a ball.

It was at that moment that Hyunggu decided to step in. "Hey, I don't know who you are but you better back off, now," Hyunggu said sharply, eyes hard.

Shinwon gulped. He was happy that Hyunggu was standing up for him but it wouldn't be good, not in the end. Woomin would just use it as an excuse to beat him up even more.

Woomin looked Hyunggu up and down. "And what are you, a truant?" He said, poking Hyunggu in the chest.

Hyunggu smiled, pushing Woomin's hand away.

If Hyunggu was about to start a fight, Shinwon wasn't for that. His spot in the market could get taken away and he didn't want that.

"Hyunggu..." he tried.

"Ha, you think you're all that don't you, kid?" Hyunggu said, sighing and shaking his head. "I'm 21, I'm in college. And my dad just happens to be an officer around here, so if you're smart, you'll leave," Hyunggu continued, waving his hand.

Woomin's lip curled in anger. He stepped up to Hyunggu and Shinwon was afraid. He knew the look in Woomin's eyes and he knew it well.

"What was that, pipsqueak?" A growl left Woomin's throat as he sidled up to Hyunggu, nearly chest to chest. Shinwon wanted to yell at Hyunggu to take a step back.

Hyunggu smirked as he lifted his chin and pushed Woomin away with two fingers. Woomin's eye twitched in anger. "I said, you brainless meat-sack, to get out and leave us alone," Hyunggu said.

Woomin was about to crack his knuckles. That sound alone made tears prick Shinwon's eyes. He couldn't stand it.

"Hyunggu...!" He yelled, chest throbbing.

Hyunggu's head snapped towards Shinwon, features softening. He held up a finger: 1 minute. Shinwon gulped, closing his eyes and trying to breathe. He begged for this all to be over so he could go home and fall asleep only to never wake up.

No, he knew that wasn't the answer, but the constant bullying pushed him so close to the edge sometimes.

Hyunggu screamed a threat at Woomin, saying he was going to call the police right now.

"Just get out of here, and don't let me ever see you again or you're truly going to regret it. Scram, you bastards!" Hyunggu said, voice menacing. Shinwon squeezed his eyes even tighter.

"You've made a mistake here, pipsqueak," Woomin spat, and Shinwon heard footsteps fade away. He didn't open his eyes until he felt Hyunggu's warm hands in his cold, trembling ones.

His throat burned with the urge to cry, but he held it in. He had to be stronger than this. Hyunggu looked at him with worry as a tear crept its way down his cheek unexpectedly.

"Hey, Shinwon, are you all right?" Hyunggu asked softly, searching his face. Shinwon didn't know what to say, because he wasn't okay. He didn't want anyone to know that though. Not even the boy he liked. Especially not the boy he liked.

Hyunggu frowned and brought a hand to Shinwon's face. He wiped away the stray tear. "You're so pale, what's wrong? Please tell me, Shinwon. I'm not going to laugh."

Shinwon shook his head. "You...You shouldn't have talked to him. To Woomin. No, you shouldn't have, Hyunggu," Shinwon whispered, desperately attempting to keep his tears at bay.

"Why, why not, Shinwon? Tell me so I can understand," Hyunggu pleaded.

Hyunggu's eyes were confused, but they held even more concern. Shinwon's heart throbbed. He took in a shaky breath, holding onto Hyunggu's hands like his life depended on it. "I, I, I'm so afraid of him," Shinwon said, his voice cracking. He barely knew Hyunggu, yet here he was telling him his pitiful life story.

"He's an asshole, Shinwon, please don't be afraid of people like him," Hyunggu said, trying to be gentle.

Shinwon just laughed sadly, shaking his head and gripping Hyunggu's hands even harder. "I know that. I know I shouldn't be scared of him but I am," Shinwon said. He bit his bottom lip in trepidation before continuing. "I'm terrified. So, so, terrified of someone that's younger and dumber and meaner than I am but he-" His voice cracked again and Shinwon felt like sobbing, but he drew in a shuddering breath instead. "He's done horrible things to me, Hyunggu," he squeezed out.

Hyunggu was silent for a moment. His eyes flickered back and forth and Shinwon had no idea what he could be thinking. "What has he done? Tell me Shinwon. I can tell you need to get it out. It's like you're a dam that's about to break...you need to stop bottling it up," Hyunggu insisted, voice soft.

Shinwon shook his head in protest, lips trembling. "I'm not ready to do that yet. Not here, not now," Shinwon said, wiping the tears that were leaking out with the sleeve of his shirt.

He slipped his hands out of Hyunggu's and turned away, picking up a crate of baby watermelons. His chest burned as he silently started working. A facade was thrown over the person that was in tatters just moments ago.

The inability to look at Hyunggu was strong. Shinwon didn't want to look at the gorgeous boy, afraid of what he'd say and the look of disappointment that had to be on his face. Shinwon mindlessly shuffled order tickets and attempted to keep his eyes lowered.

He could feel Hyunggu's burning gaze.

"Okay." Shinwon almost faltered at the sound of Hyunggu's voice. It sounded sad and discouraged.

"We don't have to do this now. Tell me later. Please, Shinwon," Hyunggu spoke again, quiet.

Shinwon stopped shuffling for a moment, but he couldn't bring himself to look up.

"I'm going to get going, then," Hyunggu started, and then Shinwon could hear him rustling around. "Call me if those assholes come back, okay?"

His footsteps on the gravel faded away, and Shinwon finally raised his eyes. A bright red sticky note stuck to the counter, numbers in purple scrawled on the paper.

Shinwon felt horrible, but getting his crush's number was a little uplifting, no matter the reason it was given.

Maybe his day just got a little bit better.

**NOW:**

Shinwon smiles sightly, a curling piece of red paper in between his fingertips. The paper is torn in places and there are creases from endless folding. Shinwon leans back in his desk chair, gazing at the note fondly.

He nearly jumps when a pair of arms are draped over his shoulders from behind. Shinwon smiles as Hyunggu digs his chin into the crook of his neck. "Hey babe, what're you looking at?" He asks, running his hands along Shinwon's chest soothingly.

Shinwon holds his wrist in place and lays his head on Hyunggu's arm. "I was just thinking about the first time you gave me your number," he says.

"Awe," Hyunggu coos, snuggling Shinwon affectionately. "I remember that day. It was sad but it was happy at the same time."

Shinwon nods. "Yeah, at least something good came out of it in the end," he says.

Hyunggu smiles, murmuring his agreement.

**THEN:**

Shinwon wasn't exactly the luckiest person, you could say. He realized just how bad his luck was when he saw Woomin and a couple of his thugs sauntering down the street downtown.

Shinwon desperately tried to keep his head down. He even attempted to cross the street before they could get to him. But he soon felt a finger hooking into the back of his shirt that dragged him backwards.

Shinwon swallowed thickly as Woomin's lanky arm slithered around his shoulder.

"Trying to escape again, eh, Repeat?" Woomin snickered.

"N-no, I just didn't see you there..."

A mocking laugh filled the air. "Sure ya didn't!"

Woomin jerked Shinwon roughly and pulled him towards the back of a store. The lackeys followed, making sure they obstructed and suspecting person's view.

Woomin violently shoved Shinwon against the brick wall of the alleyway, his face twisting into a menacing sneer. One that Shinwon was accustomed to seeing.

The first punch cracked against Shinwon's cheekbone and knocked his head back harshly.

He groaned as his skull made contact with the brick behind him. "You fucking loser, I'm going to make you see red," Woomin snarled.

Punch after punch landed on his face and ribs until he was trembling to the extent he could barely hold himself up.

Shinwon's knees buckled and he collapsed in a heap, but that didn't stop them. Heels and toes grinded against his skin, creating bruises that would surely be prominent later.

As Shinwon lay there he couldn't help but wonder what he had done to deserve this. His heart felt agonizing and heavy, and the feeling only grew worse with every passing second.

Was he that horrible? That ugly? That stupid?

He didn't understand.

Maybe everything Woomin said was true. Shinwon didn't know what to believe at this point.

Shinwon barely registered the moment Woomin decided to leave, his fingers twitching almost lifelessly.

Woomin succeeded in his profession. He made Shinwon see red.

As Shinwon's trembling hand reached towards his back pocket, blood from his face trickled into his eyes. It burned and mixed with the tears already leaking out the corners of his eyes.

Shinwon hated this. He hated being weak and desperately wished he could help himself. But even moving his arm to get his phone sent white-hot pain shooting through him.

With continuously tremoring fingers, he dialed the number he had memorized in just hours.

One ring.

Two rings.

Thre-

"Hello?"

Shinwon could only sigh in relief at the sound of Hyunggu's voice flowing though the speakers.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat felt raw. With a wince, he mumbled, "Hyunggu...hel..p me."

"Shinwon?!" Hyunggu's voice was filled with alarm. If it weren't for the situation at hand, Shinwon would have smiled a little.

"Where are you? Talk to me Shinwon," Hyunggu demanded, rustling with something on the other end.

Shinwon drew in a breath that physically hurt him to take. "Yeowondong road...behind...t...he furniture st...ore," Shinwon rasped.

"Stay on the phone, don't hang up on me Shinwon! I'll be right there, just hang on."

"Thanks..." Shinwon replied, closing his eyes briefly. His head spun even with his eyelids squeezed shut.

They snapped back open and observed the blues of the clear sky.

Hyunggu would be there soon, right? Maybe he could just get some rest...it couldn't hurt.

Shinwon was about to let his eyelids droop shut again when he heard shoes scraping on the gravel.

He felt like it had taken Hyunggu hours to get there, everything was moving slowly in his eyes.

The footsteps got closer and he cracked his eyes open to see a leather-clad boy crouching in front of him.

Shinwon almost smiled at the feeling of warm hands on his cheeks in concern. "Shinwon? Shinwon?" Hyunggu's worried voice said. Shinwon nodded lazily, he was okay.

"Hyunggu..." He mumbled his name, reaching out for Hyunggu's arm.

Hyunggu pulled Shinwon into his arms, cradling his upper body with his arms. "Shinwon, I called an ambulance, hon. You'll be okay. It'll be okay," Hyunggu murmured softly, fingers carding through Shinwon's blood-matted hair in a soothing manner.

Shinwon could hear the sound of the sirens blaring in the distance, before his world went dark.

\- - -

Hyunggu bit his nails nervously. He was going crazy with worry. He couldn't focus or sleep and had almost no appetite.

He kept seeing the image of Shinwon curled up on the gravel in the alley, the rocks around him colored red and the same red covering his face.

Hyunggu's heart had hurt when he looked at Shinwon's oddly bent arm. His heart had ached tremendously at the sight of his bruise-littered skin.

He had found Shinwon broken like glass, and Hyunggu was left to pick up the pieces.

Tears had run down his cheeks as the paramedics loaded him on the stretcher and into the ambulance. Hyunggu followed, jumping in the back and watching Shinwon with watery eyes.

"You should have told me, Shinwon," Hyunggu had mumbled. reaching for Shinwon's hand. He grasped it in between his palms, squeezing gently. At that point he didn't know whether it was reassurance for Shinwon, or himself.

Hyunggu sighed and dragged a hand down his exhausted face. He sat outside Shinwon's hospital room, waiting for his parents to come back out. Hyunggu had felt horrible when he had to call them and tell them what had happened to their son.

He perked up a little at the sound of the door opening. Shinwon's mother and father walked out, their faces solemn. His mother shot Hyunggu a little smile.

"You can see him now. He's awake."

Hyunggu nodded his thanks and entered the room after they left. Hid eyes immediately felt damp again when he saw Shinwon. His fluffy chocolate-colored hair was covered by bandages in spots and his right arm was in an elbow cast. He was sitting up, though, and staring out the window.

Hyunggu's breath caught in his throat when Shinwon turned to look at him. His cheeks were bruised and scratched horribly: purples and yellows blooming on his skin.

"Hyunggu..." Shinwon said, managing a small smile.

Hyunggu couldn't take it. He gulped in a huge breath of air, his heart beat sporadically, and he ran over to Shinwon's bedside.

Shinwon frowned in confusion as Hyunggu quickly approached his bed. "Hyunggu?" he asked.

Hyunggu ignored him, putting his hands on Shinwon's cheeks. "Shinwon," he blurted. Shinwon looked up at him, eyes shining like the stars.

"Yeah?"

And Hyunggu kissed him.

The butterflies in Hyunggu's stomach disappeared, only to be replaced by a warmth that filled his whole chest and heart.

It was a soft kiss, just lips against lips. Nothing complicated, only simplicity.

Shinwon was dumbfounded that the boy he fell in love with so quickly was right in front of him, giving him the kiss of his dreams. It was perfect because it was Hyunggu, and Shinwon could feel his heart beating almost out his chest and his fingers curling around Hyunggu's hips.

Only when Hyunggu pulled away did he finally say something.

"Hey Shinwon? I love you."

And Shinwon fell in love all over again.

**NOW:**

Shinwon knows that the best moments of his life were spent with Hyunggu. Falling in love with Hyunggu and loving Hyunggu were parts of himself that he knows are irreplaceable.

Shinwon still gets that warm, bubbly feeling inside him when they kiss, just like it was the first time.

If he could ever choose who he would fall in love with, Shinwon would always, always choose him:

The badass, now black-haired, beautiful boy named Kang Hyunggu.


	17. Devil's Advocate (JohnTen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten sold his soul to the devil. Taeil doesn't think this was the best option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good story but I think my storyline could have been a little more solid. enjoy nonetheless though!

Ten didn't think he was that stupid. He was only a little stupid.

Taeil seemed to think otherwise.

"You're the biggest fucking idiot I've ever met," Taeil muttered as they walked through the quad.

Ten frowned in annoyance. "I'm not an idiot!" He shifted his bag higher on his shoulder. Taeil glared at from the corner of his eyes.

"You're such an idiot!" He griped.

"I am not!" Ten shot back, brows furrowed. They approached the lecture hall and Ten yanked open the door.

"You sold your soul to the devil!"

"He gave me a good deal!"

Taeil felt like smacking his head against a wall, repeatedly. "Demons don't give "good deals", Ten," Taeil said, exasperated at this point.

"It was a pretty good deal."

"Ten."

"Taeil," Ten said pointedly as they sat in the far back of the huge classroom.

"Taeil, nothing," Taeil retorted, setting his backpack on the ground. Ten snorted and continued to pout as they waited for their professor to arrive. Ten leaned back in his seat and opened his mouth to talk to Taeil again. 

"The demon was pretty hot, Taeil. Do you want to know what he even offered me?" Ten said, linking his fingers together behind his head. Taeil gave him a scowl. 

"What could a demon offer you that was so tempting that you'd sell your soul to it?" Taeil said, lowering his voice so their classmates couldn't hear what they were discussing. "Was it sex, a kiss, money, good health?"

Ten shook his head, grin spreading out on his face. "No, but I bet those would be pluses!" Ten said enthusiastically. He giggled in glee at Taeil's confused expression. 

"Then what?" Taeil snapped, starting to get angry at his best friend's teasing. "Enlighten me, Ten."

Ten glanced around, eyes bright. When he was sure no one was watching, he leaned close to Taeil's ears and whispered into them. "He asked me to be his husband. In other words: I'm going to be one of the kings of hell, Taeil." Ten's voice was soft and excited. And for some reason Taeil could hear an underlying tone of affection. 

This did nothing to ease Taeil's shock though. He screamed and fell out of his chair. Ten erupted in laughter, clutching his stomach in pain as he cackled. Their classmates were eyeing the disastrous pair, one laughing and one lying on the floor motionless. 

After the shock subsided, Taeil pulled himself up from the floor and got in Ten's face, eyes searching his friend's. "So, you're marrying the devil, essentially. And you sold your soul to him so you could marry him. Voluntarily," Taeil said slowly. 

Ten grinned. "Precisely!"

Taeil groaned. "My god. You're a disaster, Ten."

"But I actually would love to marry him! There are several bonuses included when you become the king of the underworld, Taeil," Ten explained seriously. 

Taeil sighed in exasperation. "Okay, sure. What about that Johnny guy you met at the club, whom you've been raving about for the past two months?" Taeil asked. He didn't know how Ten could leave the guy he liked for a demon in hell. 

"Oh!" Ten's lips split into a blinding smile.  "Johnny IS the devil!"

Taeil passed out for real that time. 

\- - - 

Ten had to drag his friend to the infirmary. He waited for Taeil to wake up while he played games on his phone. It wasn't his fault that the boy he liked just happened to be the king of hell, the devil himself. Taeil was just too closed-minded to accept that Ten's boyfriend was a demon. 

Ten whooped as he beat the next level of his game. A grunting noise reached his ears and he turned to see a stirring Taeil. Jumping to his feet, Ten scurried over to Taeil's bedside. 

Taeil sat up with a hand on his head, rubbing it gently. "Did I pass out?" Taeil asked. Ten nodded in reply. 

"You freaked out when I told you Johnny's a demon and asked me to marry him in exchange for my soul!" Ten simpered, turning back to his game. He tapped furiously on his phone screen. 

Taeil sighed. "Right. How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Taeil asked, hopping off the sickbed, wobbling a little. Ten grabbed his elbow to help him regain his balance, eyes still trained on his phone. 

"What, you don't trust me?" Ten asked. He let go of Taeil's elbow and the boy crossed his arms over his chest. 

"Not anymore," Taeil harrumphed. He turned his gaze away from Ten. 

"Hmm. I'll call him then?" Ten said, almost like he was asking Taeil. Taeil frowned at him but Ten was already dialing Johnny's number. 

It was picked up in a matter of seconds. Taeil's frown deepened. "Hey, Johnny, babe, can you come here right now?"

"No, seriously, right now." 

"'Kay," Ten said, smiling warmly and hanging up the phone. "He'll be here soon, don't you worry Taeil."

Taeil shook his head. "I wasn't worried in the first - "

Johnny appeared next to Ten in a cloud of dark smoke and the smell of something smokey in the air. Taeil's jaw was frozen in place, the last word of his sentence stuck in his throat. 

Johnny's glowing yellow eyes flickered towards a grinning Ten. "I'm here. What did you need?" he said, his voice low and gravelly. 

Ten opened his mouth, only to find Taeil falling to the floor again.   
  


\- - - 

When Taeil's eyes opened this time, they were met with gleaming golden irises instead of the sterile white ceiling of the infirmary. Taeil let out a strangled scream and flailed his arms wildly in an attempt to get away from the demon leaning over him. 

"Woah woah. Calm down, kid. Ten, is your friend always this crazy?" the man, whom Taeil could assume was Johnny, said.

Taeil whipped his head towards his giggling friend. "Ten, why would you do this to me!" he wailed. Johnny moved out of the way and sat down in the chair that Ten was in earlier. 

"You were technically asking me to prove he was a demon, so I did that!" Ten said, eyebrows slanting in annoyance. Ten wanted to show his friend he wasn't lying about this, so he called Johnny and told him to come there. It was normal for Johnny to appear that way, so Ten knew it would convince Taeil. 

Taeil rubbed his temples. "Okay, well, you didn't have to have him appear like that and nearly give me a heart attack," Taeil grumped, giving Johnny a glare. 

"I wouldn't look at me like that, little man," Johnny said with a smirk. He held up his finger and a small flame danced over his fingertip. Johnny turned and raised an eyebrow towards Taeil. "Want me to singe your hair and eyebrows off? Because I'm fully capable of doing that."

Ten snickered while Taeil looked at him incredulously. "I don't like him Ten, I disapprove, you're not allowed to marry this fool," Taeil said angrily. 

Ten shrugged, not really caring what Taeil thought at this point. "Look, Taeil, I love ya, but I love Johnny more." Ten wrapped his arms around Johnny's broad shoulders and shot Taeil a wry grin. "I'll be back to visit every once in a while, so don't worry about me," Ten said. 

Johnny pulled Ten flush against his chest, looking down into his eyes. "Are you finally ready to go then?" he asked. Ten smiled up at him, nodding his head. Taeil's gaze softened. It had been a while since he'd seen his friend look so goddamn happy. 

Taeil figured he might have to let it slide. Ten was looking at Johnny as if he hung the stars in the sky; and as long as Ten was happy, Taeil could handle his best friend not being by his side for eternity. 

"Ten...just go then. Come back though, please, if you're ever feeling unhappy." Taeil gave him a sweet yet sad smile. Ten pulled away from Johnny and crushed Taeil in a hug. 

"Thanks for understanding, Tae. Really, thank you so much," Ten murmured, nuzzling Taeil softly. Taeil hugged him back tightly. 

"Of course. Bye, Tennie," Taeil said, waving as Ten went back to Johnny, and they disappeared in another cloud of dark smoke. 

\- - -

Ten screeched as they materialized in Johnny's room. Johnny's hand around his waist kept his jelly legs from collapsing underneath him. 

Ten huffed, "Ugh, I can never get used to that." He put a hand on Johnny's firm chest and waited for his balance to return. He looked around, observing the dark interior of the room. "Are we in hell now?" Ten asked, pointing towards the window. 

There was a curtain covering the pane of glass. "Yeah. You'll be surprised when you see it," Johnny said, walking Ten over to the window. He pulled aside the fabric and  Ten's eyes widened. 

The sky was a reddish orange color, but that was the only thing that looked starkly unordinary. There were regular buildings, roads, and everything else you'd expect to find in a city 

"This is the capital city. We're in a room in the castle. It's a very modern place, you know. Demons aren't complete heathens like you humans tend to believe."

Ten giggled. "It's gorgeous here, babe."

Johnny grinned, golden eyes aflame with love for the dark haired boy in front of him. "I knew you'd like it. You're alright with leaving your friend behind though?" Johnny questioned, eyebrows furrowed in concern. 

Ten smiled. "As long as you let me visit, it's fine," he said. 

Johnny nodded, placing a soft kiss in Ten's soft black locks. "Of course."

Ten leaned into Johnny, his head resting on his chest. "You know, Taeil didn't believe me at first when I said I was marrying the devil," Ten giggled. "He thought I was crazy too, when I told him I was in love with you, and you were the one I sold my soul to."

Johnny smiled down at him. "Well, at least he was willing to let you go in the end," he commented. They continued to stare at the view outside the window, watching the sky turn from red to magenta and then black. Ten's eyes sparkled in awe of the dazzling colors and Johnny had never felt more in love. 

"Hey, Ten, I think you'll make a badass king of hell. There's no one better to rule the demon race with me."

"Tell me something I don't know, Johnny," Ten smirked. He pushed Johnny onto the couch next to the window. He climbed onto his lap, encircling his arms around Johnny's neck. Ten planted a soft kiss on Johnny's lips, chaste and loving, no lust present at the moment.  

The spark in Johnny's molten eyes brightened. 

"Love you, you devil."


	18. Stitch Me Up (RockBin, MyungJin, EunHa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ASTRO are a top dance crew. Their territory is threatened, and they'll do anything to protect it.

"Rocky!"

Rocky turned at the sound of his boyfriend's voice. He and the rest of the gang were hanging out under the bridge, keeping out of the harsh sun that was beating down on the ground. Rocky put a hand up to his forehead to shield his eyes.

Moon Bin was sprinting towards them, his lips forming a huge grin. Rocky smiled at just the sight of Moon Bin's smile and the blue hair plastered to his forehead.

Moon Bin collided into Rocky at full speed, wrapping him in his arms protectively. "Hey, babe..." Rocky murmured, petting his taller boyfriend's head affectionately. He giggled as Moon Bin snuggled his head into the crook of Rocky's neck.

"How's it going?" Moon Bin asked. Rocky smiled up at him.

"We're good, just hanging out." He gestured to the rest of the boys. Sanha and Eunwoo were engrossed in teaching each other crazy new techniques, while Jin Jin and MJ sat on the ground, quietly discussing. Moon Bin smiled at them too.

"Okay, okay, that's cool. Wanna see something new I came up with?"

"Sure thing, babe!" Rocky grinned. He called everyone over and they eyed Moon Bin curiously.

Jin Jin looked at Rocky. "What's he got in store for us today?"

Rocky shrugged, unsure of what Moon Bin had really made for them to see. "Not sure. I'm sure it'll be pretty cool though, as always."

Jin Jin smirked in response, slinging an arm around MJ's shoulders as Moon Bin pressed play on the CD player they had. The music started off slow, a resonant and constant beat, pulsing like a heart-beat.

Moon Bin started moving, fluidly and effortlessly almost, his shoulders rolling with the beat and his feet moving in time. Rocky was always easily entranced by Moon Bin's dancing, and this choreo he'd created was just as mind-blowing.

Rocky observed with a big smile as Moon Bin danced, his face focused and movements precise.

The music stopped.

Rocky turned in surprise, not knowing why the music stopped so suddenly.

"Well, well, well. I see you've come up with something fascinating, haven't you, Moon?" a chilling voice said, almost mocking Moon Bin. Rocky's brow furrowed in anger as he saw the face of the person who had shut off the music.

It was the leader of a dance crew that considered ASTRO enemies, for absolutely no reason at all. Rocky knew they were jealous of the spot ASTRO had secured for their dancing after the turf war.

The fact that ASTRO had placed in the local dance off had also pissed them off some more, and now they considered ASTRO their mortal enemies, as childish as that was.

"Kanghan...you better leave if you know what's good for you," Rocky growled, trying to keep his ground and not leap directly into the fray.

The other members of MVP smirked at this, but the twins were glancing at each other worriedly. Rocky knew they were the only ones with a shred of common sense in the crew, and he respected them the most out of all the members.

"Kanghan, are you sure we should-,"

"Shut up, Been!" Kanghan growled. "We've waited long enough to confront them. I thought you had no doubts about this?"

Been shrunk back at the tone of Kanghan's voice. "S-sorry," he said, ducking his head. Rocky watched sadly as Jin squeezed his younger brother's arm comfortingly. Rocky was sure the two just followed what Kanghan said because they felt threatened and wanted to fit in. Rocky thought they were the most proficient dancers out of all of MVP though.

"What do you want, Kanghan?" MJ spat, taking a step forward. MJ had a smaller stature, but he sure couldn't be considered weak. Rocky believed he might be the strongest fighter in their crew.

"I just want what we should rightfully have," Kanghan replied, spitting on the ground.

Sanha stepped up to him, his height towering over Kanghan. Sanha's baby face didn't do him too much good though. He didn't have an ounce of menace in him. "What you should have? Sorry, bucko, but we earned this turf fair and square."

Rocky nodded, agreeing fully with Sanha's words. The three boys were up in Kanghan's face, knowing they were ticking him off.

Rocky saw Kanghan's eyes darken in anger because of their close proximity, but he didn't see the shove that sent him stumbling into Moon Bin's arms. "Rocky, just keep your cool, please don't fight him..." Moon Bin whispered in his ear before helping him stand up straight.

Rocky fixed his shirt and stepped back up to Kanghan. He wasn't sure if he could abide by Moon Bin's words if this guy kept infringing onto their territory. "It doesn't have to get dirty if you'd just leave now, Kanghan," MJ said. Jin Jin didn't have the heart to pull him back and get involved too.

Kanghan smirked. "Well, that's too bad."

The first punch landed on Rocky's jaw and sent him staggering backward, a hand rubbing his jaw. A bruise would definitely form there afterwards.

He got a hold of himself quickly, only to realize that Kanghan was already upon him, fists and feet flying. Rocky crossed his arms to further protect himself and shield his face. He gritted his teeth together as Kanghan tried to pry his arms away from him.

In the few split seconds of free time Rocky had, he could see that Sion and MJ were rolling around on the ground, and Sanha was throwing punches at Rayoon as best he could. The twins were standing in front of Moon Bin, Jin Jin, and Eunwoo, arms thrown out protectively, almost. Rocky got one last look at a menacing looking Gitaek approaching them before Kanghan tore his arms away from him.

A punch landed on Rocky's sternum, kunckles suddenly covered in metal tearing up the skin of his chest. Rocky groaned and struggled to push Kanghan off of him. A punch grazed his jaw, leaving it feeling scraped and raw.

"Get off me!" Rocky screamed, using all his strength to push Kanghan off him. They rolled over and Rocky straddled Kanghan, knees pressing into Kanghan's hips so he couldn't get away as easily. Rocky landed a couple of good, firm punches on Kanghan's face before he was thrown off, rolling in the gravel. His fists were burning, the skin red and raw from punching.

"I'm a petty bastard, Rocky, you should have known that already..." Kanghan growled as Rocky scrambled to his feet. They stared each other down, almost like they were middle school kids getting into a squabble over something stupid. Which, in reality, was true. This whole fight was pointless.

"Just let us have this spot, Rocky, and it will all be good. Give in."

Rocky began to shake his head but froze when he saw a flash of metal glint from Kanghan's hand. It wasn't his brass knuckles, it was silver and Rocky blanched when he saw the blade of the switch.

"Knife!" he screamed, knowing he had to alert everybody else. Been's eyes widened in terror and he hid behind his brother a little. Everyone had frozen and was staring at Kanghan.

"Hey, come on, Kang, this isn't that serious..." Sion said with a uneasy smile. He and MJ had stopped fighting and were breathing heavily, eyes trained on the switchblade in Kanghan's grasp.

"Since you've all abandoned me, I guess I'll just have to leave a mark that will make you remember me," Kanghan growled. Rocky held his hands up warily, not wanting to provoke him any further.

But no matter what, Kanghan wasn't having it. He lunged forward towards Rocky.

Rocky tried in vain to dodge. He wasn't fast enough, and the blade of the switch pierced the flesh of his abdomen. The blade dragged across his skin as he was in the midst of jumping to the side.

A soft whimper left Rocky's lips and he clasped a hand over the rip in his t-shirt. Blood flowed out of the cut, although it wasn't that deep.

"Minhyuk!" Moon Bin's scream echoed around them. He broke through the protective wall that Been and Jin had created to keep more from getting involved and dashed over to Rocky's side. Quickly

"Myungjun, call an ambulance!" he yelled at MJ, who was fumbling for his phone in his pocket.

"Minhyuk, can you hear me?" Moon Bin fretted, framing Rocky's face with his warm hands. Rocky winced in pain but nodded.

"It's just a scratch Binnie, don't worry," Rocky replied with a pained smile. It truly wasn't that bad. It was a shallow cut, but it still hurt like a bitch.

"Kanghan, I think we should just go," P.K said tentatively. Kanghan's face looked somewhat regretful, so he nodded and turned away from the scene he had created. The others followed him in a hurry, but Been and Jin stayed behind. 

Moon Bin pulled Rocky's head into his lap, cradling him closely. Rocky was starting to believe that maybe this was worse than he had originally thought, because his head was spinning and his eyes wouldn't focus. 

"Bastards..." Moon Bin hissed, stroking his fingers through Rocky's silver locks. 

 "Moon Bin, they're on their way," Eunwoo said, shuffling over quietly. 

"Good. They better be fast."

The others were sitting on the ground as they waited, exhausted and drained. Sanha leaned on Eunwoo, his eyes closed. MJ allowed JinJin to hold his hand as they whispered quietly to each other. 

Moon Bin continually stroked Rocky's hair, mumbling that everything was going to be alright even as the stain on his gray shirt spread. 

Finally they heard the sirens from the road next to the bridge and Moon Bin perked up almost immediately. The paramedics rushed towards Rocky, a stretcher carried between a couple of them. Moon Bin hurriedly explained what happened as they loaded him up and rushed him into the ambulance. 

Everyone trailed back to their dorms after Moon Bin got in the ambulance with his boyfriend. They were positive that Rocky would be okay, but there was always a shred of worry that would eat at them until they were sure. 

\- - -

Moon Bin called JinJin later on to tell them that Rocky would be okay. They all breathed a sigh of relief at the news, some visibly relaxing. 

Everyone except for Moon Bin and Rocky were lounging in MJ's living room, including Been and Jin. 

"Rocky will be okay guys, don't worry," JinJin said with a smile as he hung up the phone. MJ smiled and leaned into JinJin, playing with the band-aids on his knuckles. JinJin slapped his hand away with a pout, telling MJ he needed to leave them on if he wanted to get better. 

Eunwoo was coddling Sanha as well, wrapping him in blankets and kissing his cheeks repeatedly. The twins watched their new friends with small smiles, wishing that their own crew had been like this. 

They were surprised that ASTRO accepted them so quickly, no matter what they had done previously. But ASTRO were much more loving and accepting than Kanghan was. Kanghan kept them under an iron fist, only softening his attitude when he was with P.K. 

The twins were glad they had left, even if they knew they would miss some of the other members. Both decided it was worth it. 

\- - - 

Moon Bin was constantly pestering Rocky now that he was back from the hospital, all cooped up in his room. His doctor said he was allowed to go home, but he had to take a few days to recover if he wanted to dance again soon. 

"Bin, please, can you stop hovering for  _one_ second. Please?" Rocky whined. He didn't mind that Moon Bin was there, but the constant bothering was starting to get on his nerves. 

Moon Bin's face fell a little, but he quickly returned to smiling when he realized Rocky didn't mean any real harm.

"You're right, sorry," Moon Bin responded, setting down the bowl he was holding. "I just worry, you know?"

Rocky smiled, interlacing their fingers. "I know, Bin. I just need a little space for a couple hours. Trust me, I'll call you if I need anything, okay? I'm probably just gonna sleep."

Moon Bin nodded and grabbed his phone. "Alright. I understand, babe. Just text me!" Moon Bin said, sending a wink towards Rocky. 

"Be on your way, busy-body!" Rocky laughed, waving Moon Bin out the door. Rocky thought Moon Bin was walking out the door, but his head popped back out from behind the door frame. 

"Hey, I love you Rocky!" 

Rocky felt a grin spread across his face. 

"I love you too, Bin."


	19. Time Stops (JinHongseok)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinho woke up and saw the time on his wrist was ready to expire. 
> 
> soulmate au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for all my lovely uni moots from twt. ily.

Jinho didn't usually care for all the hype surrounding soulmates. To him, it was all useless, because after all, why should love be predetermined? Jinho was a romantic in the sense that he'd much rather fall in love on his own. He didn't want to have the person he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with determined by an algorithm and a dumb watch. 

He wanted to go on dates. He wanted to find someone on his own and fall in love because they were perfect for him, not because the government decided he and someone were fated. So when Jinho woke up one morning and glanced down at the glowing numbers on the inside of his wrist, he wanted to cry a bit. 

**00:06:23:32**

He had six hours until he would meet his soulmate for the first time. The clock was always stuck at 24 hours, until the day you were supposed to meet. From then, it would countdown the appropriate amount of time it would take for "fate" to take action. Now Jinho's clock was counting down, and while he felt a little apprehensive, he couldn't help the excitement that bubbled in his stomach as well. 

He sighed and threw back the covers of his bed. It was nine in the morning, so what could he do to kill time until 3? 

Instead of pondering his daily activities, Jinho went to eat breakfast. Man, he was starving...

\- - - 

"So, you're meeting your soulmate today?" Hyunggu asked, swirling the coffee in his Starbucks cup around as they walked. 

"Ugh, yes," Jinho replied with a groan. The two were walking around the mall, shopping and goofing off. 

Hyunggu snorted and looked at him with a frown. "What, I know you're not super into the soulmates thing, but it might turn out better than you expected. I mean, when I first met Shinwon, I was lowkey disappointed."

Jinho looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Idiot, that's because he spilled hot chocolate all over you," he said. Hyunggu blushed at the memory of his soulmate tripping and falling into his arms, consequentially dumping his whole cup of hot chocolate down Hyunggu's front. Both of them had screeched in surprise when they had seen that their wrists had reached 00:00:00:00. 

"Okay, yeah, I admit he didn't have a good first impression. Dumping hot liquid all over me wasn't the best way for us to meet. But it worked out right? We met and fell in love after that disaster. How bad could yours possibly turn out?" Hyunggu shrugged, tossing his now empty plastic cup in the nearest trash can. 

"Stop, you're going to jinx it!" Jinho hissed, smacking Hyunggu on the shoulder as they walked into the Forever 21. 

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, yikes," Hyunggu said, rubbing his shoulder where Jinho smacked it with a smile. 

"You should be!"

The two friends continued to peruse the shops, joking and smiling and buying more clothes than they probably needed. Jinho now had roughly half an hour until he would meet his soulmate. His hands were a little clammy with the nervousness, but his heart was calm. He just wanted to get it over with at this point. 

They were approaching a section of the mall that was covered in caution tape. There was a gaping hole where there would normally be a barricade overlooking the first floor of the mall. Hyunggu and Jinho eyed it warily and were about to move farther from the spot when a group of young boys came hurtling past them, laughter emitting from their mouths.

They were too late to move out of the way and one of the boys came crashing into Jinho, sending him stumbling backward with more force than he would have liked. 

And then for some reason, he felt himself falling. He didn't hit the railing that would normally be there and his eyes widened in horror as he felt the caution tape rip away from where it was tacked down. A scream of terror left his lips as Jinho toppled over the edge head first. 

Jinho felt a thousand emotions rush through him in seconds: 

Regret that he wouldn't get to see his friends ever again

Sadness that fate played him like this

Anger that he'd never get to meet his soulmate. 

Or maybe his soulmate was death itself. 

Jinho waited for fate to strike, but it never came. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the white floor of the mall splayed beneath him, and he felt his leg burning painfully. His breath was caught in his throat, tears spilling out of his eyes and rolling into his hairline. 

"Hey, hold on! We're going to pull you up!" He heard an unfamiliar voice call to him. Jinho whimpered softly, closing his eyes tightly and trying to ignore that the only thing keeping him alive was one man's hand around his ankle. The fingers tightened around his skin painfully and Jinho did his best not to move. 

"Someone come over here and help me!" the voice barked angrily. 

"Oh my god, I'm already holding on to you as tight as I can, we need more people." That was Hyunggu that Jinho could hear vaguely from above him. 

"Get more people to hold onto you then! It's gonna be hard to pull him up with just me and my one hand that's holding onto him. 

Jinho dared to open his eyes again. He really was dangling at least fifty feet in the air. His watery eyes landed on the crowd of people that were staring up at him and he felt his heart clench at the panicked yelling and rushing around. 

"Okay, I've got six people holding on. Tell me when we should start pulling you up, okay?" Hyunggu shouted. Jinho was struggling not to cry out in pain at the pressure on his ankle. It felt like it would dislocate any second. This was paired with the fact that the other person's hand was slipping, and the panic the sensation sent through Jinho was numbing. 

The panic only subsided when he felt another hand grab his other ankle. He felt more secure, but he was still terrified as someone screamed to start pulling. A sob erupted from Jinho as he was slowly inched back up onto the floor of the mall. 

"Start moving back, I need room to pull him back onto the floor!"

Jinho crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't safe yet but he getting there and he was infinitely grateful. He sobbed even harder when he felt the solid ground beneath him. His head bumped against the cliff that almost led to his death and he cried in relief that he was finally completely safe. 

The hands that were around his ankles released him and pulled him up by his forearms instead. Jinho felt himself collapse in the arms of the stranger that had saved him. He was shaking in relief and buried his face in the shoulder of the man. He was warm and Jinho felt safer than he ever had in the past half an hour of him hanging onto his life. 

He sniffed and pulled away. And when their eyes met, Jinho knew that the time on his wrist had reached 00:00:00:00. 

The man whose eyes he was staring into were the eyes of his soulmate, and Jinho thought they were absolutely gorgeous. 

"Are you okay?" his savior asked. 

Jinho nodded in response, mesmerized by the sparkle in the man's eyes. 

"Let's move away from the edge," he said, and Jinho allowed himself to be tugged as far away from the death trap as could. He let go of the other man and ran into Hyunggu's open arms. 

"Holy shit, Jinho, I was so worried. You just started falling and then that guy was there and holding onto you and I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you," Hyunggu cried in a hurried mess of words. Jinho didn't nag him; he was just happy that he was still breathing. 

"Hyunggu...he's my soulmate," Jinho murmured to Hyunggu as he stroked Jinho's hair with his hand. 

"I know, I know..." Hyunggu started, "wait. He's your soulmate!?" he shrieked in surprise. "That's great, oh my god!"

Jinho giggled, feeling the fear he had been suffering from melt off of him. "Yeah...I mean I was fearing for my life when I met him. But I think I'm actually glad I met my soulmate. After all, if I didn't meet him, I would have fallen to my untimely death," Jinho said with a chuckle. Hyunggu was grasping his forearms and glancing at the man who had saved Jinho with a mischievous smile. 

"He's cute, Jinho," Hyunggu said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Jinho turned away from Hyunggu and went up to the dark-haired man that was standing around awkwardly. Jinho approached him with a grateful smile playing on his lips. 

"Hey. Thank you so much for saving me..." Jinho said quietly. The man looked at him timidly, eyes still worried. 

"Um, of course. I feel horrible that you had to go through all that..." he responded, searching Jinho's face as if he was checking for any scratches or bruises. 

"You know...we're soulmates right?" Jinho asked him, shifting on his feet somewhat nervously. He wanted to make sure the man was aware already. If the other didn't care that they were soulmates, Jinho would admit that he'd be a little heartbroken. 

"I knew as soon as I caught you, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest because this was the way I had to meet you," he said with a soft smile. Jinho was glad the other didn't immediately oppose the idea. 

That made sense, because the idea  of soulmates was ingrained in their heads. You were considered odd if you didn't fully accept it. So maybe Jinho was the odd one before, but now that he'd seen the person fate chose for him, he accepted it fully. Maybe fate wasn't so bad to him after all. 

"I'm Yang Hongseok," he said with a bright grin. Jinho felt as if his stomach was filled with butterflies at the sight. 

"Jo Jinho. And I guess fate decided we're meant to be together."


	20. Hidden Reciprocation (MinSung)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fire is kindled in Jisung's heart for the boy he thinks he can never have.

Jisung glanced at his best friend, who was lounging on the couch of the karaoke booth. Minho had a bright smile on his face, eyes scrunched in happiness as he watched their other friends scream into the microphones.

He could never get enough of that beautiful smile.

It was a mystery, how it happened. How Jisung fell in love with Minho.

It was inexplicably sudden. There was a moment when they were talking, and Jisung felt something bloom inside him when he looked at Minho. When he looked at him, Jisung desperately wanted to kiss Minho and hold him tight. And he wanted Minho to do the same to him.

Jisung didn’t know what triggered it, but from that point on, he reveled in Minho’s smile and his laugh, and how goddamn gorgeous he was. He was filled with thoughts of only one boy and no matter how desperately he wanted to think of Minho as only his best friend, he couldn’t.

He kept the feelings trapped inside, admiring from a distance. The thought of rejection was too present in his head for him to even consider confessing his feelings. And truthfully, it was tearing him apart.

His inability to confess and the fear that accompanied it—the fear of losing the person that mattered most to him—kept him sad and quiet these days. The silence between them when they were alone was deafening and Jisung didn’t know why it was there in the first place. He wanted to talk to Minho more, not less, but Minho never responded like he used to.

Nothing had happened between them (besides, of course, Jisung falling in love with Minho; but Minho was unaware of that), so Jisung was confused. Why wasn’t Minho talking to him?

Jisung shook his head, not really wanting to think about it anymore.

He snuck another look at Minho, only to find that Minho was looking right at him too. He smiled at Minho, trying to be as bright as he could muster. He didn’t want him to think that he was down and sad. Minho returned it, lacking a little brightness, but it was a smile nonetheless.

Now Jisung was determined to figure out what was wrong by the end of this night. It was clear that Minho had a problem with Jisung, and while Jisung didn’t know what or why, it broke his heart a little. He’d catch Minho on their way home. He had to.

“Jisung! It’s your turn to sing!” Felix yelled, bouncing up and down on his toes in excitement. He waved the mic in Jisung’s face, a giant grin on his face. Jisung took it easily, giving him a soft smile.

“Alright, Felix. Just you wait, I’m going to beat Woojin’s high score easily. He stood up and went to find a song to sing. He was feeling sad recently, maybe he’d do a sad song.

He settled on something sort of sad, but not too sad. Depressing stuff wasn’t ideal for a fun night out with friends.

Eyelids fluttered shut, Jisung opened his mouth and began singing. Despite being a part of a rap trio in his free time, Jisung was a marvelous singer. He prided himself on it, just a little.

He noticed the quietude of his friends in the background when he finished the song. Tears threatened to slip out of his eyes, his heart aching because of the song. It reminded him so much of Minho, the boy that was sitting right behind him that he couldn’t be with. But Jisung shook his head and made sure the tears were gone before turning around and handing the mic to Minho.

“Here, it’s your turn Minnie,” he said softly as Felix, Woojin and Seungmin started marveling about Jisung’s voice. He nodded without a word to Jisung and asked the others what song he should sing. 

They all screamed suggestions while Jisung stared down at his hands mutely. Minho had blatantly ignored him and was interacting with their other friends as if nothing had happened. His heart burned in his chest as the night continued. 

Finally it was time to go, and Jisung was unsure whether he should approach his best friend, as it was clear that Minho didn't want anything to do with him. 

"Are we all going home together?" Woojin asked as they exited the karaoke shop. Jisung didn't know what Minho would choose in the end, but the either way he would still find a way to talk to Minho alone. 

"I'm gonna head home alone, guys. I'll see you soon!" Minho said with a wry smile and a wave of his hand before turning around and walking away from the boys. Jisung felt his heart leap in his chest as Minho distanced from him. 

The boys stood there and watched for a couple seconds before moving to get into the car. Jisung, however, remained on the sidewalk, gazing at Minho's retreating figure, heart aching. 

"Jisung, come on. Are you getting in?" Felix asked with a tinge of worry, Seungmin peaking over his shoulder. 

Jisung shook his head. "No...I...I gotta go," he replied, a tremor in his voice. He heard the worried shouts of his friends behind him as he took off after Minho. He could still see him, he hadn't disappeared from Jisung's grasp just yet. 

His lungs were burning with exertion even after running for hardly any time at all. Hand outstretched, Jisung finally reached Minho. "Minho!" he cried out, grabbing Minho's shoulder. They jarred to a stop. Minho didn't say a word, he remained silent and made no move to turn around. Jisung clutched his side, trying to catch his breath.

"Minho, we need to talk," Jisung said calmly. He needed to calm himself down if he was to talk to Minho properly. 

"What do we need to talk about?" Minho replied, and Jisung had never heard him sound so cold. It was, in all honesty, somewhat frightening. Jisung almost flinched back at the tone of his voice, instead dropping his hand from Minho's shoulder. 

"Are you mad at me or something? Because you're not talking to me and I've been trying to figure out what's wrong; whether I did  something to you without realizing or not," he said, pushing down the lump in his throat and hoping his voice wouldn't crack. Would he have the courage to tell Minho the truth and face rejection. 

Minho didn't respond. "Please, I need to know how I messed up so I can fix it. I can't take you giving me the cold shoulder for the rest of our lives without knowing what I did to make you like this towards me," he nearly gasped, the aching of his heart multiplying by the second. 

"You didn't do anything," he finally said, still facing away from Jisung. Jisung's face crumpled at the words, the lump in his throat back. 

"W-what do you mean I didn't do anything? How can I have not done anything when the person I love most in the world is acting like they hate me with a passion. You won't look at me or speak to me or smile at me and honestly I can feel my heart falling apart with every passing moment!" Jisung yelled, not being able to hold back the tears that started leaking from his eyes, pouring down his cheeks in plenty. Jisung was sobbing now, trying to wipe the tears off his face, but they just kept coming and he couldn't stop. 

He didn't notice how Minho froze at the words "the person I love most in the world", and he didn't  _notice_ how Minho had turned around as soon as he heard the sobs. He didn't notice Minho take a step forward, a heartbroken look on his face as he watched Jisung cry his heart out. 

"Jisung..."

"Why...why do you hate me?" he asked, voice trembling and eyes covered with his hands to stem the tears. Jisung didn't want the answer. Not really. He didn't want to know that the love of his life hated him at all. 

"I don't hate you, Jisung," Minho said softly, getting as close as he could to Jisung without alerting him that he was there yet. 

"Then why?" he whimpered. "I love you Minho...not like a best friend kind of love. I don't know how it happened but it's there and if it makes you resent me even more, I'm sorry," Jisung said, removing his hands from his eyes. 

He flinched when he saw Minho right in front of him, eyes watery and staring at him. "I'm sorry for making you think that I hate you. It's all my fault," Minho whispered, hands moving to cup Jisung's face, his thumbs brushing away the tear drops on his cheeks. The tips of his fingers curled into the soft hair of Jisung's nape. "I could never, ever hate you, Jisung," Minho murmured, gazing at him softly for a moment.

Before Jisung could even register it, Minho's lips were on his, chaste and sweet, and Jisung's heart was beating a thousand miles per hour. His hands dropped to his side, eyelids fluttering closed as he leaned into the kiss. Jisung felt happiness surge through him. Minho was kissing him, and it was the best feeling in the world. Minho was kissing him, his hands framing Jisung's face as if he was afraid he'd break him. 

Jisung tentatively placed his own hands on Minho's waist, not pulling away from the kiss they were locked in. He kissed back equally as enthusiastically, pulling Minho even closer to him. Jisung reveled in the sensation of Minho's lips on his, almost whining when Minho pulled away from him. 

"I'm sorry for being cold to you, Jisung," he said softly, eyes lowered in sadness. Jisung needed to know the reason though. "I was so scared that you'd push me away if you found out I had feelings for you that I drove you away myself.  It seems I had no reason to be afraid, though," Minho explained, dropping his hands from Jisung's cheeks to intertwine their fingers. 

Jisung gave him a wry smile, "Well, it hurt, but I understand how you felt. I'm glad..." he started, "that everything turned out this way instead." Jisung was struggling to not grin like crazy, because he was holding Minho's hand and it was another one of the best feelings in the world. 

"I'm glad it did too," Minho responded with a bright smile. He pressed a kiss to Jisung's cheek and pulled away, blushing as he realized they were still in the middle of the sidewalk. The stars of the night sky twinkled as he tightened his fingers around Jisung's. 

"I love you," Jisung whispered in Minho's ear with a smile. 

"I love you, too."

The boys made their way home, fingers intertwined, blushes on the apples of their cheeks, and bright smiles and laughter echoing through the quiet of the night. They couldn't believe that they hadn't fallen earlier, and they couldn't believe that it had taken them so long to confess. 

For both, it ended up like a dream come true, and they were happy. 


End file.
